Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to better understand the main drivers of entrepreneurial motivation among university students and to determine whether entrepreneurship education has a moderating effect on improving the impact of knowledge base and entrepreneurship competencies on entrepreneurial motivation. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a mixed-method approach that combines qualitative interviews and a cross-sectional survey of a sample of 465 university students. Findings: The study reveals that entrepreneurship competencies are a predictor of entrepreneurship motivation but that knowledge base is not. Additionally, entrepreneurship education does not improve the motivation of university students to become entrepreneurs. These findings suggest that, to increase entrepreneurial motivation, pedagogy should emphasize the development of students' entrepreneurial psychological and social skills by covering in particular the emotional dimension and critical thinking. Originality/value: This research contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship education and provides strategic recommendations for university managers and education-policy makers.