This study aimed to explore the direct effect of emotional intelligence on the meaning in life from the positive psychology perspective and to verify whether the sense of security and self-esteem can improve the meaning in life based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. It involved 599 undergraduates selected randomly from four universities located in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The study applied structural equation modeling to illustrate the mediating and chain-mediating effects of the sense of security and self-esteem on the relationship between emotional intelligence and meaning in life. Notably, the results showed a strong mediating effect of a sense of security. These findings provided a new perspective and theoretical model for positive psychology to improve the meaning in life among undergraduates.