edu

Edu, in the context of the internet, most often refers to the .edu top-level domain (TLD) used for educational institutions in the United States. The term edu is also a common abbreviation for education in general, but in DNS and web contexts it denotes the domain space reserved for higher education entities.

The .edu domain is a sponsored TLD in the Domain Name System. It was created in 1985 as one of the early TLDs and is intended specifically for postsecondary educational institutions and related organizations located in the United States. The registry for .edu is operated by EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association focused on higher education information technology. Registration within the .edu space is restricted and subject to eligibility verification to ensure that registrants are legitimate educational institutions or affiliated entities.

Eligibility for .edu registration is limited to U.S.-accredited postsecondary institutions and certain nonprofit educational organizations that have an approved affiliation with a U.S. postsecondary institution. The aim of these rules is to preserve the integrity and branding of educational institutions’ online presence. General commercial use is not the intended purpose of the domain, and non-educational entities typically do not qualify.

Impact and scope: The .edu namespace is widely recognized as a mark of official U.S. higher education sites. It remains the trusted TLD for colleges and universities in the United States, though many institutions also manage internal systems and services under other domains and TLDs.