This study examined the English learning motivation of Chinese ethnic university students. A sample of 776 undergraduates from three representative ethnic universities participated in this research. The findings indicated four types of English learning motivation: intrinsic interest, learning situation, personal development, and international communication. There were statistically significant differences between ethnic minority and Han students, and between male and female students. Moreover, the intrinsic interest motivation of Han students was significantly higher than that of ethnic minority students, and female students’ overall motivation and personal development motivation were significantly higher than those of male students. Intrinsic interest motivation had a significantly positive impact on English achievement, whereas learning situation motivation had a significantly negative impact. These findings highlight the improvement of the learning situation and encouragement of intrinsic interest to enhance minority students’ second language learning and sustainable development. Further research on English as a second language should consider the influence of family and ethnic background.