.edu
.edu is a sponsored extension, run for a specific community, run by EDUCAUSE since 1985. Postsecondary institutions in the United States accredited by an agency recognised by the US Department of Education.
| Type | Sponsored |
|---|---|
| Registry operator | EDUCAUSE |
| Who can register | Rules apply Postsecondary institutions in the United States accredited by an agency recognised by the US Department of Education. |
| In the root zone since | 1 January 1985 |
| DNSSEC | Signed |
| RDAP server | None listed |
| WHOIS server | whois.educause.edu |
| IANA record | iana.org/domains/root/db/edu |
Registrars that sell .edu
| Integrated |
From the list of domain registrars. Other registrars may sell it too.
Look up a .edu domain
The .edu registry publishes registration data over WHOIS. The free domain report reads it and shows a .edu domain's registrar, dates, status and DNS in one place. For the raw record, use the WHOIS lookup.
New to extensions? The guide to how domain extensions work covers generic, country-code and brand extensions. For who sells extensions in general, see the list of domain registrars.
Sources: the IANA root zone database and the ICANN list of generic extensions (refreshed 2026-10-24). Something out of date? Tell us.
Frequently asked questions
Who runs the .edu extension?
EDUCAUSE is the registry operator for .edu. The registry keeps the list of every .edu name; registrars sell the names to the public.
Can anyone register a .edu domain?
Postsecondary institutions in the United States accredited by an agency recognised by the US Department of Education.
When was .edu created?
.edu was added to the DNS root zone on 1 January 1985, according to IANA.
How do I look up who owns a .edu domain?
The .edu registry publishes registration data over WHOIS at whois.educause.edu. The free domain report on lemon.domains reads it for you and shows the registrar, dates and status.
Is .edu signed with DNSSEC?
Yes. The .edu zone is signed, so a .edu domain can turn on DNSSEC once its registrar adds a DS record.