The preparatory courses run by universities in regions inhabited by ethnic groups provide ethnic students with a handy platform. They are an active response to the State′s ethnic policy as well as a way to bridge the education gap be- tween regions inhabited by ethnic groups and other regions, promote education equity, and bring about ethnic unity. The nature and intensity of the learning motivation of preparatory students have an instant impact on their future performance at the college stage. After an analysis of the learning motivation of 424 ethnic preparatory students at three universities in eth- nic regions of Sichuan, this article finds that the ethnic backgrounds, places of origin and types of the students have led to significant differences on the four dimensions of their learning motivation. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with over 10 preparatory students from Aba. They put forward targeted strategies for improving the learning motivation of ethnic preparatory students with a view to providing a frame of reference for the delivery of preparatory education and the relevant researches in China.