The invention discloses a method for preparing ethylene glycol by using dimethyl oxalate plus hydrogen. The method comprises the following steps: in the presence of a catalyst, methanol solution containing dimethyl oxalate is contacted with hydrogen, and then ethylene glycol is acquired. The method is characterized in that according to weight percentage, the catalyst consists of the following components: 70 to 80 percent of carriers, 15 to 22 percent of copper, 5 to 8 percent of boron, and 0 to 4 percent of active metal additives. The method has the characteristics of low reaction temperature, high reaction activity, good selectivity, simple catalyst preparation process and low cost, and is easy for conducting industrial production.