The article presents the results of the research of the dominant motives of studying modern students, the correlation of internal and external motivation of their educational activities, the place of knowledge and development among terminal values and education among the instrumental values of students, expressiveness of need in knowledge and the formation of their motivation component of their readiness for self-education activities. To research the motivation of studying modern students were used such techniques: technique for diagnostics the motives of learning (in the modification of A. Rean, V. Yakunin), the technique of diagnostic the internal motivation of the learning by T. Dubovytska, technique “Valuable orientations” by M. Rokich, technique “SAMOAL”, the authorʼs questionnaire “I am learning a profession”. In the process of analysis of the results, methods of descriptive statistics were used: the definition of mean value and frequency analysis. An empirical study was conducted during the 2017-2018 years. Respondets were students of I-IV courses and masterʼs degree of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (specialties: social work, psychology, agroengineering, forestry, constraction and civil engineering, economic cybernetics), Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University (specialty: psychology), National Pedagogical Dragomanov University (specialty: psychology), Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University (specialty: publishing and edition), a total of 321 persons.
 It is substantiated that the most students motivate their educational activity with the desire to become a highly skilled specialist, to ensure the success of future professional activities, to acquire deep and solid knowledge, to obtain intellectual satisfaction and receive a diploma. The dominance of internal incentives to study in students before external ones is indicated. There is described the attitude of respondents to knowledge, development, education as an average by value in term of the goals that should be sought, and ways of acting in any situation. The average level of expression of the need to know of respondents is highlighted. The high motivational component of studentʼs readiness for self-education is substantiated: the dominance of a positive attitude towards the chosen profession, an understanding of its requirements and its abilities, an awareness of the importance of improvement in activity, cognitive interest, the presence of a responsibility, the ability to set goals and make efforts for its achievement, to plan its activities. The prospects for organizing the educational process in universities are outlined, taking into account the identified peculiarities of the motivation of learning modern students: creating an atmosphere that support the internal motivation of learning, helping to obtain intellectual satisfaction from the learning process and stimulating to constant self-development in the chosen profession.