Based on the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2011 to 2021, the study uses two - way fixed effects model, pan? el threshold model and spatial Durbin model to test the impact of digital economy on the high - quality development of higher education. The study finds that: the digital economy has a positive promotion effect on the high - quality development of higher education, specif? ically on the dimensions of higher education factors, capabilities and functions in order of decreasing; the digital economy has a positive effect on the high - quality development of higher education in the eastern region, and has no significant effect on the central and west? ern regions; the level of development of the digital economy has a non - linear effect on the high - quality development of higher educa? tion with increasing marginal effects; the digital economy has a positive effect on the high - quality development of local higher educa? tion high - quality development has a positive impact, but there is a negative spatial spillover effect on neighboring regions. In this re? gard, the strategic layout of digital economy should be strengthened to promote in - depth cooperation between higher education and the digital economy industry; the advantages of the eastern region should be brought into play through the creation of cooperation demon? stration zones, the formulation of regional development plans, the increase of investment in digital infrastructure, and the construction of digital education resource sharing platforms, so as to enhance the radiation - driven role of the developed regions of the digital econo? my.