Countries in the world without a university

In a world where almost every country maintains at least one university to foster research, professional training, and development, two countries stand apart as exceptions: Vatican City, and Eritrea.

Each country has unique circumstances that explain the absence of a traditional university system, yet all provide alternative forms of higher education.

Vatican City

Vatican City, the world’s smallest sovereign state, is located within Rome, Italy. With fewer than 1,000 residents and covering only 49 hectares, it serves as the headquarters of the Catholic Church and home to the Pope. Because of its tiny size and religious structure, the city-state has no primary, secondary, or higher education schools. Establishing a university inside its borders is impractical due to land shortages, security restrictions, and the clerical nature of its population.

Despite this, Vatican citizens are not cut off from learning. The state maintains strong ties with more than 15 Catholic universities and colleges based in Rome. The only institution within Vatican territory is the Ethiopian College, which trains African seminarians for priesthood. For all other higher education, students study in Rome and across Italian universities.

Eritrea

Eritrea presents another striking case. Located in the Horn of Africa and bordered by Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and the Red Sea, the nation has a population of about 3.7 million and covers 117,600 km². Unlike Vatican City, Eritrea once had a functioning university — the University of Asmara, founded in 1958.
However, in 2007 the government closed the University of Asmara, citing a plan to decentralize higher education. It was replaced by specialized independent colleges spread across the country. These include the Asmara College of Health Sciences, Eritrea Institute of Technology (Mai Nefhi), College of Business and Economics, and College of Arts and Social Sciences. While these institutions grant degrees, Eritrea remains without a single unified national university, making it unique on the African continent.