The pressures of higher music education—intensive training, performance demands, and early career decisions—can significantly affect students’ well-being. Motivation has been identified as a key factor in shaping not only musical achievement but also psychological health. This study examined the motivational dimensions underlying career choice among Hungarian university music students and their associations with mental health indicators, situating the findings within the broader international discourse on the health and wellbeing of musicians.A total of 127 students from six Hungarian higher education institutions completed questionnaires assessing career choice motivation and the Mental Health Test (MHT), which measures well-being, savoring, creative-executive functioning, self-regulation, and resilience. Exploratory factor analysis identified six motivational dimensions: intrinsic emotional motivation, social-relational motivation, achievement and recognition orientation, extrinsic motivation, mental well-being and stress management, and career orientation. Correlations with the MHT subscales were then examined.Students motivated by intrinsic emotional factors—such as passion, self-expression, and enjoyment—reported higher well-being, greater savoring capacity, and stronger creative-executive functioning. Those who viewed music as a resource for mental health and stress management also reported more positive outcomes. By contrast, students motivated by external expectations or recognition showed lower self-regulation and diminished creative-executive functioning. Interestingly, career orientation was positively associated with resilience, suggesting that long-term professional goals may provide protective resources.These results underline the importance of fostering autonomy-supportive and intrinsically grounded motivation in higher music education. Beyond technical skill development, institutions should consider how pedagogical practices and curricula support students’ psychological resources, resilience, and long-term well-being. By bringing the Hungarian context—characterised by its strong classical tradition and conservatory-style training—into international focus, this study contributes to global conversations about how to sustain the health and well-being of musicians in training.