ChatGPT Edu and Public ChatGPT Feature Comparison
Although CU Boulder's ChatGPT Edu workspace may feel familiar to the publicly available version, there are many differences between the secured Boulder platform and the publicly available version. The important differences are not always visible in day-to-day use, but they shape how the tool fits within the university environment and what it offers to both individual users and the campus as a whole. The comparison matrix below outlines how ChatGPT Edu differs from the public versions across features such as data privacy, approved data use, model access, FERPA support, data storage, and more. For individuals, ChatGPT Edu provides access to advanced models at no personal cost, stronger privacy protections and an ad-free experience. For the campus, it provides a tool that aligns with CU data governance expectations, supports intuitive collaboration across users and offers a stable foundation for responsible AI use at CU Boulder.
| Feature | ChatGPT Edu | Public ChatGPT | Public ChatGPT Plus | Public ChatGPT Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensing model | Institutionally licensed and managed | Free, individual account | Individual paid subscription | Higher‑tier paid individual subscription |
| Cost to CU Employee | Free | Free | $20 per month | Starts at $100 per month |
| Privacy of Conversations | User data is not used to train models. User conversations are only viewable by security and legal counsel as legally required. Learn more in the ChatGPT FAQ | User data and conversations are used to train public models by default | User data and conversations are used to train public models by default | User data and conversations are used to train public models by default |
| AI model access | Access to the latest ChatGPT models, managed by institution | Less capable models such as “Instant” and “Mini” models only | Access to more advanced models than free public version | Access to top‑tier reasoning and Pro models |
| Approved CU data levels | ChatGPT Edu is approved for use with CU public and confidential levels of data (as defined by CU’s Data Classification Standard) | Not approved for use with any CU data | Not approved for use with any CU data | Not approved for use with any CU data |
| Usage limits | Significantly higher than free public version | Lowest limits | Higher than Free | Higher than Plus |
| Deep Research and Image Generation | Included at no cost, with daily limits | Included at no cost, with daily limits | Included with increased limits | Unlimited |
| Sharing & collaboration | ChatGPT projects and custom GPTs are shareable across the institutional workspace. | Sharing within the institutional workspace is unavailable. | Sharing within the institutional workspace is unavailable. | Sharing within the institutional workspace is unavailable. |
| Advertisements | No ads | Ads shown to free users | No ads | No ads |
| Guarantee of services | Campus contract for ChatGPT Edu provides a guaranteed level of service and features that must be maintained throughout the contract term. | No guarantee that service level and features will not change. | No guarantee that service level and features will not change. | No guarantee that service level and features will not change. |
| Appropriate use education | Reminders and resources around institutional use in the classroom and workplace via daily acknowledgement. | No equivalent reminders and resources | No equivalent reminders and resources | No equivalent reminders and resources |
| Data Storage Location | All content is stored and processed in the United States to meet compliance through institutional agreement | Data can be processed and stored outside the U.S | Data can be processed and stored outside the U.S | Data can be processed and stored outside the U.S |
| Supports FERPA Compliance | Yes – Supports FERPA compliance through institutional agreement | No | No | No |