Human capital serves as a fundamental pillar of economic growth in contemporary economies, paralleling the importance of physical capital and the natural environment in sustainable development. Beyond formal education, human capital encompasses occupational skills, health, nutritional status, cultural values, and institutional knowledge, often interlinked with the concept of social capital. In India, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education has shown a consistent upward trajectory, increasing from 19.4% in 2010–2011 to 27.1% in 2019–2020. This study investigates the relationship between GER and Gross Domestic Product Per Capita (GDP PC) over the period 2010 to 2019. Data were sourced from the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) reports and World Bank databases. Employing Pearson’s correlation and ANOVA, the study finds a strong positive correlation between GER and GDP PC. The regression analysis indicates that GER significantly predicts GDP PC, explaining 82.1% of its variance (F = 36.573, p < .05). The mean and standard deviation of GDP PC were found to be ₹1669.95 and ₹268.42 respectively, underscoring the economic returns of higher education. These findings suggest that investments in higher education yield tangible economic benefits and highlight the critical role of human capital in driving inclusive and sustained economic development.