A review of the history of Reza Shah's reign (1925-1941) shows that three central objectives underpinned his government’s general policies: the centralization and absolutism of state and royal power, nationalism, and the modernization of Iranian society. In line with the modernization project, the central government sought to transform the educational system through the strategic mobilization of the country's social and cultural capital. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to examine the impact of Reza Shah's cultural policies on educational transformations in Iran from 1925 to 1941. The present research uses a descriptive-analytical method, relying on library resources and documentary evidence. The findings indicate that educational reform was one of the most ambitious undertakings within the broader framework of Pahlavi cultural policy. The imperative to build a "new Iran" and implement wide-ranging modernization made the construction of a modern educational system a central priority for Reza Shah's government. The state's nation-building goals for a modern Iran were fundamentally incompatible with continued reliance on the traditional educational apparatus. Educational planning under Reza Shah was based on a triad of core concepts, modernization, nationalism, and centralization, which served as both guiding principles and operational mechanisms, thereby defining the system's distinctive character. The primary purpose of these reforms was, therefore, to harness the educational system as an instrument for training specialized human resources, thereby advancing the state’s broader sociopolitical and cultural agenda.