Abstract: Based on the panel data of prefecture-level cities in six central provinces from 2011 to 2022, the super-efficient SBM model and the dynamic qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) method were used to explore the spatiotemporal evolution of cultivated land use ecological efficiency (CLUE) and the multi-dimensional configuration path of its influencing factors. The results show that the CLUE of the six central provinces presents a fluctuating upward trend in time series, but there is a significant spatial imbalance among the provinces. The realization of high CLUE in the central region depends on the synergy of multiple conditions, and there are two types of configuration modes that could drive high CLUE, namely “multiple cropping index dominant” and “temperature and urbanization synergistic influence”, and the cities do not follow a consistent configuration path in the green development of cultivated land. Therefore, it is proposed that local governments can promote the transformation of cultivated land ecological efficiency from “single factor driven” to “multiple collaborative governance” through differentiated allocation technology paths and institutional incentives, so as to provide a scientific basis for the sustainable use of cultivated land in major grain producing areas.