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Is .edu safe? The state of .edu domain security
.edu is safer than the internet average. Across 7,634 graded .edu domains, 33.5% score an F — cleaner than the 78.3% global average — better company than most of the web. 15.7% earn a B or better. Most .edu domains can still be impersonated in email, but the ending shifts the odds, not your own domain's grade. As of 2026-08-16.
How do .edu domains score?
Aggregate grade distribution across all graded .edu domains — we never publish an individual business's grade. As of 2026-08-16.
| Grade | Domains | Share |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 14 | 0.2% |
| A | 98 | 1.3% |
| B | 1,086 | 14.2% |
| C | 2,238 | 29.3% |
| D | 1,641 | 21.5% |
| F | 2,557 | 33.5% |
Does .edu make a domain secure?
No — and that's the most important thing to know. A domain's grade is decided by how it is configured (SPF, DMARC, HTTPS, DNS), not by its ending. Choosing .edu doesn't protect you, and a high-F-share ending doesn't doom you: a correctly configured .edu domain earns an A while the crowd around it sits at F.
Want to know where your .edu domain ranks? Check it privately and free — we only ever show an individual domain's grade to its verified owner. Run the free check →
Frequently asked questions
Is .edu safe?
On average, .edu is safer than the internet average: 33.5% of its 7,634 graded domains score an F as of 2026-08-16, against a 78.3% global average. Most domains on every ending are exposed — the ending shifts the odds, not your own domain's grade.
How secure are .edu domains?
66.5% of .edu domains score above an F and 15.7% earn a B or better. The rest fail the basic externally observable protections, most importantly enforced SPF and DMARC, so they can be impersonated in email.
Does choosing .edu make my domain secure?
No. A domain's grade comes from how it is configured — SPF, DMARC, HTTPS, DNS — not from its ending. A well-configured domain earns an A on any ending; an unconfigured one sits at F on .edu too.
What does "grade F" mean for a .edu domain?
It fails the basic protections we can observe from outside — above all, it has no enforced SPF and DMARC, so its email can be forged and its customers targeted with convincing fakes.
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