Course selection is an important issue for university students. This study investigates the relationship between course selection and overall academic performance among university students. Using anonymous transcripts from 1681 undergraduates across ten majors, we examined the association between elective course load or choices and academic performance while controlling for the influence of grade leniency. Results showed that students with higher academic performance tended to schedule more courses at the early stage of university, even when the average workload was already high. Additionally, students with different levels of academic performance showed differences in their elective course choices, with course choices positively associated with academic performance being rated as having a higher potential to satisfy extrinsic motivation but a lower potential to satisfy intrinsic motivation. We discussed the possibility of interpreting the association between course selection and academic performance from a psychological perspective.