The invention discloses a method for synthesizing 1,4-dioxane-2-ketone by ethylene glycol. The method comprises the following steps of: 1, synthesis of ethylene glycol monosodium: mixing a dehydrating agent, ethylene glycol and sodium hydroxide for reaction, cooling down the mixed solution to the room temperature after reaction, standing the mixed solution for demixing to obtain upper-layer liquid, and directly using the upper-layer liquid in the next reaction, wherein the ethylene glycol mixed in the lower-layer ethylene glycol monosodium is unnecessarily separated; 2, synthesis of beta-hydroxyethoxy sodium acetate: mixing ethylene glycol, sodium monochloroacetate and ethylene glycol monosodium for reaction, adding sulfolane to the mixed solution after reaction, recovering ethylene glycol by vacuum distillation, cooling down the mixed solution, then adding acetone to the mixed solution, and obtaining a coarse product of beta-hydroxyethoxy sodium acetate; and 3, synthesis of 1,4-dioxane-2-ketone by ethylene glycol: adding beta-hydroxyethoxy sodium acetate to an oxygen heterocycle containing solvent, slowly adding concentrated sulfuric acid to the mixed solution dropwise when the mixed solution is stirred, and obtaining the finished product of 1,4-dioxane-2-ketone by ethylene glycol. The method takes ethylene glycol as a synthetic raw material, the products are easily separated, and the selectivity is high; and the solvents used in the reaction can be recovered in high efficiency for reutilization, so that the method is environment friendly.