Evaluating the efficiency of education and research plays an important role in optimizing resource allocation and promoting sustainable development of science and education. The Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA) is one of the most developed regions in China in terms of economy, science and education, and culture. Quantifying and analyzing its education and research efficiency is of great significance for the development of this urban agglomeration. Therefore, this study applied Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to evaluate the education and research efficiency of YRDUA from 2000 to 2021, and applied GIS visualization methods to analyze its spatiotemporal distribution characteristics. The research results indicate that due to the steady implementation of the Yangtze River Delta regional integration strategy, the overall scientific and educational efficiency of the Yangtze River Delta is showing a continuous upward trend. At the same time, the efficiency gap between different cities in the region is showing a narrowing trend,