I think you're getting confused between an education and a qualification. My late father certainly had several qualifications. Degrees in law, journalism, and engineering.

However, beyond that, he was educated. He spoke 11 languages, was familiar enough with the stars in the sky to be give lectures on astronomy, ran a successful business, etc. I have posters of him lecturing to the Royal Air Force on men reaching the moon in 1944/5. I also recall in 1966 him writing a paper showing how a rocket was put together.

Someone who is well educated speaks two or three languages, is familiar with most of the countries in the world, and can certainly place where Timbuctoo or Andorra is. They would have an solid idea of how the human body works, what the different political and economic systems were, have a grasp of world history, know the differences between eolithic, neolithic, and paleolithic man.

In today's world, he would be as familiar with India's Wion New, France's France 24, Germany's Der Spiegel, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, etc.

An education may certainly have some qualifications in some areas, but an education is achieved over a life time. It involves reading constantly to learn about the world, traveling widely to different cultures to learn about them.

Which 'great minds' of the last 100 years believed in a higher power. Einstein certainly didn't. And most of the great minds are atheists. There is a direct correction between the degree of intelligence/education and atheism.