Where to Sign Up for a .edu Domain Name

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably come across .edu domain names that look spammy. .edu domain names are ideal for schools or for business. So, it’s clear that .edu domain names are not ideal for private use.

A quick look at top universities worldwide shows many have.edu domain extensions. Some good examples are Yale.edu, stanford.edu, and Harvard.edu. 

If you are a frequent contributor on SEO forums or learn new tricks from YouTube SEO channels, you may have seen speculation on the impact of .edu domain backlinks and SEO.

Several “SEO gurus” believe that .edu backlinks improve your website’s SEO. 

So, what are .edu domains?

What is the .edu domain?

You must have come across many websites and blogs as an internet user. One noticeable thing is they end with .com, .net, or .org. There are also other domain names ending with .edu.  

Having a domain name that identifies you as an educational institution is important as an educational institution. A .edu domain extension is ideal for such educational institutions. 

Also, many websites offer additional discounts to students and educational organizations. This only applies if your students have a registered .edu email address.

Most .edu domains are linked to an American post-secondary institution of higher education, such as the case of a university or college. They also must comply with a set of strict standards to be eligible for a .edu domain.

Features of an eligible .edu domain 

To register your .edu domain name, it must have some features; here are the required features

• Have a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 63 characters
• Include only letters and numbers
• No hyphens before or after a domain name

Requirements to register for .edu domain 

In the United States, Educause, a nonprofit organization, registers .edu domains for universities and colleges. The organization has a stringent list of eligibility requirements to be fulfilled.

Some of the requirements for registering the .edu domain include;

• The institution should be accredited
• Having accredited programs is not enough
•  All accreditation should be done by agencies recognized by the US Department of education.

You can read the complete list of eligibility questions here.

This makes it easy for organizations based in the USA to obtain a .edu domain if they meet the eligibility requirements.

You can still get the a.edu domain through Educause if you’re based outside the USA. However, you must meet several conditions. Your organization must be recognized by a US federal or state government agency to get a.edu domain through Educause.

It’s important to note that each country has its own specific domains. For instance, the US has .us, the UK has .uk, and so on. Also, each country has its own domain name focusing on educational institutions. Let’s look at where to register a .edu domain in India and the United States.

Where to register the .edu domain name in India

The common educational and academic domain names used in India are “ac. in,” “edu. in”, and “res.in”. For instance, consider ‘uniraj.ac.in”, which represents the official domain for the University of Rajasthan.

To register your .edu domain in India, you must be a recognized educational institution nationally. One excellent place to register a .ac.in or .edu.in domain in India is Ernet. Other websites provide these domains. However, Ernest is the best since it is recognized by the Indian government. 

To register your .edu domain, check out the government guidelines on registration.

Where can I register .edu domains in the USA?

.edu Domains generally require adherence to strict rules to be able to obtain these domains. Here are sources you can use to obtain an academic top-level domain for your organization:

Educause is a nonprofit organization that examines .edu domain name registrations in the USA. To allow an institution not located in the USA that wants to get recognized, the initial step should be to look up the list of nationally recognized Accrediting Agencies. Make sure your institution has an affiliation with an institution before you begin the process.

How to register the .edu domain name with Educause

If you’re planning to register a .edu domain name with Educause, here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it.

Step 1: Check eligibility

First, find out if your institution qualifies for a .edu domain name. The Educause website lists all regional and national institutions and specialized accrediting organizations responsible for accrediting the institutions. 

Also, you’ll find all state agencies that accredit institutions. To get a .edu domain name, you must be accredited by any of these agencies.

Step 2: Check domain availability

To check if the domain you are interested in is available, go to the “Ready to Request a New.edu DNS Name” page.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page. Enter the name that you wish in the box below “.edu Domain Name Search” Next to the text box, click the “Check Domain” tab. The “Domain availability results page” will redirect you to your domain name search page. This will tell you if it is available.

If the domain name you are looking for is not listed, click the “Check Another Domain” tab. Click the “Request This Domain Tab” tab if it is available.

Step 3: enter your institution name

In the text box beside “Institution name,” enter the legal name of your institution. In the box next to “City,” enter the name of the city in which the institution is located. Next, select the appropriate state from the drop-down menu. Click on the “Search” tab.

Step 4: Create a domain password

Click on the name of your institution in the search results. The “Create Domain Password page” will redirect you. In the “Password” field, enter a password. Enter the password that you have chosen in the “Password” field. Click the “Next” tab.

Step 5: Provide contact information

Enter the contact information for administrative purposes. This information includes the name and contact information of the administrative contact responsible for administering the domain name. Click the “Next tab.”

Step 6: provide technical contact information

Enter the technical contact information. This information includes the name and contact information of the person/group responsible for the technical aspects of the domain. Click the “Next” tab.

Step 7: Provide billing information

Enter the billing contact information. Enter the name or group of people responsible for billing the domain. Click on the “Next” tab.

Step 8: Provide domain name server information

Enter the primary domain name server and secondary domain name server. These servers will be used to register your domain name. These servers must have public IP addresses. Depending on the institution, you might use your Internet service provider or your domain name servers. Check with your ISP or your IT department if you are unsure.

Step 9: Submit and wait for approval

Click on the “Complete” tab. Your request to register the a.edu domain will be sent directly to the institution’s executive for approval and verification. EduCase contacts the administrative contact you used immediately after the domain name has been approved.

How to renew a .edu domain

If you already own a .edu domain name, you can renew it 30 days before the expiry period. You should note that it can only be renewed for one year. Also, note that if you want a lifetime domain name, then .edu will not be ideal because you’ll have to keep renewing every year.

Are .edu domain names transferable?

YES. Some .edu domain registrars allow domain transfer. However, they must meet these conditions.

• Registered for over 60 days
• Not locked for transfer by the registrar

To avoid denying your transfer, you should transfer your domain name at least seven days before it expires.