This study examines the underlying logic of higher education policymaking in Iran. The main research question investigates the extent to which higher education policies reflected in upstream documents are grounded in a demand-oriented approach, and the implications of maintaining this pattern for achieving policy objectives. The study adopts a mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, the provisions pertaining to higher education within the Comprehensive Scientific Map of the Country and the First to Seventh National Development Plans were identified through thematic analysis and subsequently coded based on indicators derived from the supply- and demand-oriented literature, as well as macro-level policy documents. In the quantitative phase, secondary data from the Institute for Research and Planning in Higher Education were used to descriptively analyze trends in the number and share of students enrolled in engineering and technical fields. The findings show that despite policy-level emphasis on aligning education with employment and national needs, the dominant policymaking logic continues to prioritize the quantitative expansion of student capacity and a strong state role in regulating supply. Concurrently, enrollment trends in engineering and technical disciplines indicate a relative decline in social demand, increasing mismatch between educational output and labor market needs, and reduced attractiveness of these fields. Overall, the study argues that achieving macro-level policy objectives in higher education requires a gradual shift from the prevailing supply-oriented model toward an approach that emphasizes state regulation rather than direct expansion, strengthens university autonomy, and institutionalizes demand-oriented mechanisms in engineering and technical human resource policymaking.