I think they use "only" to give the impression that there are less than a few.
Few is an imprecise measure, and subject to different interpretations depending upon the reader. A few minutes for me is 5 minutes or less, to others a few may be more.
Having few hairs on your head still means thousands, but having a few chocolate chip cookies is two or three.
Right now, there are few leaves on the ground even though they number in the hundreds. In a few
weeks, there'll be few leaves left in the trees.
When they say "one of the only" I perceive this to mean that it is in the "one or two" quantity. Well, in Canada anyway, since we don't have a slew of universities like they have in the U.S., for example.
I don't mind the use. I do get antsy for more information though. Like with your domestic animals quest...what universities, how many exactly?
