Best TLDs for Best TLDs for Schools & Universities
Domain extensions for educational institutions at all levels
Recommended TLDs
1
.edu
The most trusted educational TLD, restricted to accredited US institutions.
Highest possible academic trust signal
Restricted to accredited US post-secondary institutions by EDUCAUSE
Required for US federal student aid system integrations
Only available to accredited US higher education institutions
K-12 schools are not eligible
2
.ac
The .ac.uk and regional .ac extensions serve international universities.
Used by UK universities (e.g., oxford.ac.uk)
Recognized academic authority signal internationally
Supports ac.jp, ac.nz, and other country variants
Not a standalone gTLD — requires country-code pairing
Less recognized than .edu in US context
3
.school
Descriptive extension for K-12 schools and school districts globally.
Globally applicable for all school levels
Descriptive and easy for parents to understand
Good availability for school names
Low mainstream adoption — parents expect school.district.us or similar formats
Newer TLD
Direct extension for universities outside the .edu restriction zone.
Unambiguous higher education signal
Good for international universities ineligible for .edu
Available globally with no restriction
Very long extension (10 chars)
Low adoption — most universities prefer ccTLD formats
Broad educational extension for educational publishers and edtech platforms.
Works for educational content companies, not just institutions
Good availability
Very long (9 chars)
Low institutional adoption