Spring break dates 2026 – the definitive college calendar

Planning an epic spring-break trip (or timing your marketing to catch those travelers) starts with one question: When is every school off in 2026? Below you’ll find — in one place — the key break-week clusters, a sample table of 30 well-known colleges, and tips for grabbing the full master list.

When is spring break in 2026?

Semester-based U.S. schools fan out over almost two full months, but they fall into predictable blocks:

How we built the calendar

• Date format: We display Saturday–Saturday spans because most students travel over two weekends, but the class-free days on campus usually run Monday–Friday.
• Quarter vs. semester: Quarter-system schools (e.g., UC campuses, Stanford) push into late March or early April, while semester colleges peak in mid-March.
• Updates: Schools can—and do—tweak calendars. Always cross-check the latest registrar page before you book flights.

Tips for students & travel pros

• Book early = save big. Airfares jump ~20 % between December and February for March departures.
• Avoid peak-to-peak overlap. If your campus breaks Mar 7–14, you’ll pay less by flying home mid-week (Wed/Thu) when the Mar 14–21 crowd is still in class.
• Market smarter. Brands targeting college travelers should stagger promos: open rates surge when emails drop two weeks before each cluster’s Saturday.