The study aimed to test the hypothesis that students of a Belarusian university enrolled in distance learning programs with the use of distance educational technologies demonstrate higher levels of intrinsic motivation as well as a correlation between motivation and academic achievement compared to students in traditional face-to-face programs. The study included 114 students from the 2nd and 3rd year, attending face-to-face (N = 40) and distance learning programs (N = 74). The methods used included the “Academic Motivation Scale”, as well as the grade point average, and the Carol S. Dweck questionnaire to assess academic achievement. The findings showed that distance learning students exhibited a higher level of intrinsic academic motivation, while face-to-face students demonstrated a stronger presence of external motivation. Motivation among distance learning students was also found to be more strongly correlated with indicators of academic achievement.