In recent years, research projects have increasingly focused on the study choice motives of student teachers which have proven to be an important predictor of academic success and the development of professional competencies. In particular, the expectancy-value theory of motivation has proven to be a suitable theoretical basis for the classification and operationalisation of various motives for choosing a study programme. In addition, the examination of motivational profiles and comparisons of different teacher training programmes and different countries, contribute to a better understanding of study choices. However, comparisons that go beyond teacher training programmes and measure study choice motives with reliable questionnaire scales are hardly to be found. Therefore, for the present paper, a questionnaire for a cross-degree survey of study choice motives was developed by adapting existing instruments and completed by 690 applicants of a total of 13 different study programmes. Results show that the six motives for choosing a study programme - perceived subject specific ability, subject-specific interest, professional interest, social value of the study programme, personal utility, and low difficulty of the study programme - can also be reliably (Cronbach's α >.69) measured across study programmes and that applicants for different study programmes differ significantly in these motives (p ≤ 0.003). In particular, it was found that subject-specific interest as a study choice motive is lower among applicants for teacher training programmes than in other study programme groups (Cohen's d = -0.45), and that all other surveyed motives for choosing a study programme are highest among applicants for teacher training programmes - with large effects for professional interest (d = 1.39) and personal utility (d = 1.07), and medium effects for perceived subject-specific ability (d = 0.56) and the social value of the study programme (d = 0.47). A person-centred analysis of study choice motives via motive profiles also illustrates that the interplay of different (not only subject-related) study choice motives is particularly relevant to the decision to study for a teaching profession, whereas in some programmes that are not specific to teaching professions, particular subject interests predominate. The results are discussed with regard to previous research results and their possible relevance for the practical design of university courses.