This study aimed to examine the effects of problem-based learning (PBL) on Chinese college students’ English reading proficiency. Although many factors might influence students’ reading proficiency, this study focused on individual learner factors affecting their achievements under PBL, such as their reading strategy use and critical thinking disposition. In addition, this study aimed to gather and analyze Chinese college students’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness of PBL reading instruction in relation to their reading comprehension. A mixed research method was employed to achieve these objectives. Ninety-six sophomores from a local university in the People’s Republic of China were invited to participate in this study. They were randomly divided into experimental and control groups, each comprising 48 students. The participants who had enrolled in the PBL course constituted the experimental group, while those in the lecture-based learning (LBL) course belonged to the control group. The study involved a 14-week treatment. Data from pre/post-measurements and one-on-one interviews were used to investigate the effects of PBL reading instruction on Chinese college students. The findings indicated that PBL reading instruction could increase Chinese college students’ frequency of reading strategy use, especially metacognitive and cognitive reading strategies. Also, students in the experimental group had a more positive critical thinking disposition within the English reading environment, especially in these four dimensions: truth-seeking, open-mindedness, systematicity, and maturity. In addition, the results indicated that PBL reading instruction significantly improved Chinese college students’ reading performance, since it could increase students’ engagement and motivation for reading and help them gain a deeper understanding of the reading texts.