In this paper, the differences in academic motivation between university students of traditional (in-classroom) and online (distance) education were investigated. It has been hypothesized that online (distance) students possess stronger intrinsic motivation than traditional (in-classroom) students. The random sample consisted of 386 students. Participants comprised 189 male and 197 female students; 194 of them were traditional students, and 192 of them were online students. The cross-sectional research design was used in this study. A 21 item Academic Motivation Scale (SAMS-21) was used to measure three types of extrinsic motivation (intrinsic motivation to know, to accomplish things, and to experience stimulation), three types of extrinsic motivation (external, introjected, and identified regulation) and amotivation in university students. The findings indicated that students' intrinsic motivation scores were higher in online students than in students who attend traditional face-to-face classes. The results did not reveal significant differences between male and female students in terms of academic motivation. This study made a novel contribution to the literature, because the present study has compared academic motivation between university students of traditional and online education in a new context. i.e. before COVID-19 pandemic and during it. Recommendations are provided for further research into areas not covered by this study.