.edu

edu

Introduced	1985
TLD type	Sponsored top-level domain[citation needed]
Status	Active
Registry	Educause (operated by VeriSign)
Intended use	Educational institutions
Structure	Registrations at second level permitted
Documents	RFC 920; RFC 1591
Website	edu Home Page
DNSSEC	yes

The domain name edu is a sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) in the Domain Name System of the Internet. The "domain is intended for accredited post-secondary educational U.S. institutions" and this intention is strictly enforced.^[1]

History

Created in January 1985 as one of the seven first generic top-level domains,^[1] the domain was originally intended for educational institutions anywhere in the world. However, due to broad usage of country-level domains by non-U.S. educational institutions, e.g., ubc.ca for the University of British Columbia in Canada, was later restricted to only bona fide U.S.-accredited postsecondary educational institutions (see Eligibility, below).^[1]

On April 24, 1985, cmu.edu, berkeley.edu, columbia.edu, purdue.edu, rice.edu, and ucla.edu became the first six registered domain names.^[1]

Eligibility

Starting on October 29, 2001, only post-secondary institutions and organizations that are accredited by an agency on the U.S. Department of Education's list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies are eligible to apply for a edu domain.^[2] Most such agencies accredit only US institutions, so very few non-US institutions qualify, and edu remains almost exclusively a top-level domain of the United States.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} ".edu General FAQ". EduCause.edu. http://net.educause.edu/edudomain/show_faq.asp?code=EDUGENERAL. Retrieved 2011-04-15. 
2. ^ "Eligibility for the .edu Domain". EduCause.edu. http://www.educause.edu/edudomain/show_faq.asp?code=EDUELIGIBILITY. Retrieved 2011-04-15. 

See also

• .ac (second level)

External links

• Official website