About .edu domains

About .edu domains

.EDU is a top-level domain delegated in the IANA root zone. See the official IANA delegation record for manager and technical contacts.

edu is a sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) in the Domain Name System of the Internet. The domain was implemented in 1985 to create a domain name hierarchy for organizations with a focus on education. At the time, it was open for registration for entities from any region. Since October 29, 2001, new registrants for second-level domain names have been required to be United States-accredited institutions of higher education.

Who can register .edu domains?

Eligibility is defined by the registry operator and its registrars. Most gTLDs are open to anyone worldwide. Many ccTLDs are also open globally; some require local presence, citizenship, or trademark rights. Always confirm current policy with the registry or your registrar.

Registration restrictions

Character rules below follow common ICANN LDH conventions. Individual registries and registrars may impose extra eligibility, length, or residency rules.

Length

2 – 63 characters (label before .edu)

Can use

Letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), and hyphens (not first/last or consecutive in restricted cases)

Cannot use

Special characters (e.g. & # @) in standard LDH labels

IDNs

Varies by registry — check IDN support with the registry or your registrar

Features

Operational features (privacy, parking, protection) are registrar-level, not defined by the IANA root zone record.

Registry information

Sponsor / manager

EDUCAUSE

Registration services

http://www.educause.edu/edudomain

WHOIS server

whois.educause.edu

Root zone registration

1985-01-01

Record last updated

2026-03-10