3 Surprising Countries With No Universities – And Why

When you think of higher education, the first thing that comes to mind is universities. They’re everywhere—from massive Ivy League campuses in the U.S. to century-old halls in Europe and bustling institutions across Africa and Asia. Almost every country proudly points to at least one university as a beacon of knowledge, innovation, and progress.

But here’s the twist: a few countries in the world don’t have a single university. Not one. And yet, their citizens still thrive, study, and build careers. Surprised? You should be.

Let’s explore the fascinating reasons behind this unusual reality.

1. Vatican City – A Country Without Space for Classrooms
Nestled right in the heart of Rome, Vatican City is the world’s tiniest sovereign state. It’s smaller than most city parks—just 49 hectares of land—and has fewer than 1,000 residents.

This is no ordinary country; it’s the epicenter of the Catholic Church and home to the Pope. The people here aren’t students and business professionals. They’re priests, nuns, guards, and clerics.

Why There’s No University Here:
Tiny Population: With less than a thousand residents, there simply isn’t a need for a full-fledged university.

Religious Priorities: Education focuses on preparing people for the priesthood, not for general fields like business or engineering.

Space & Security: Imagine trying to build lecture halls in a walled city already packed with cathedrals, museums, and administrative offices—it’s nearly impossible.

But does that mean Vatican citizens miss out on education? Not at all. They have access to more than 15 Catholic universities in nearby Rome, and the Vatican itself hosts the Ethiopian College, training seminarians from Africa.

So technically, while the Vatican has no “University of Vatican City,” education still flourishes just beyond its walls.

2. Luxembourg – The Wealthy Nation That Outsources Education
Now this one will surprise you even more. Luxembourg isn’t tiny like the Vatican—it’s a wealthy European country sandwiched between France, Germany, and Belgium, with a population of nearly 700,000. It’s also one of the richest nations on Earth, thanks to its banking and finance sector.

So why doesn’t it have a traditional national university?

The Reasons:

Unique Education Model: Since 1912, Luxembourg has relied on state-owned specialised institutions instead of one central university.

Multilingual Advantage: Students grow up speaking Luxembourgish, French, German, and often English. That means they can easily study anywhere in Europe without barriers.

European Integration: With France, Belgium, and Germany literally minutes away, students cross borders for higher education like others commute to nearby cities for work.

Instead of a big campus, Luxembourg offers lyceums, professional schools, and institutes that prepare students for specialised careers or further studies abroad. It’s not a failure of the system—it’s a deliberate design.

3. Eritrea – The Country That Shut Down Its Only University
Eritrea, a nation in the Horn of Africa with 3.7 million people, has one of the most unusual cases. Unlike Vatican City or Luxembourg, Eritrea once had a thriving national university—the University of Asmara, established in 1958.

For decades, it was the intellectual heart of the country. But in 2007, the government made a shocking move: it closed the university.

Why?
The official explanation was decentralisation. Instead of one major university, Eritrea created a network of specialised colleges, including:

Eritrea Institute of Technology (Mai Nefhi)

College of Health Sciences
College of Arts and Social Sciences
College of Business and Economics

While these institutions award degrees, Eritrea still doesn’t have a central, unifying university. This makes it stand out as one of the few countries in Africa—and the world—without one.