ABSTRACT
The objective was to determine if stress constitutes a risk factor in university students' academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Puno Peru. The study uses a correlational quantitative approach. Stress was measured using the additive index construction of the Patients Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and through the factorial analysis of principal components from PHQ- 9. Furthermore, the academic risk was calculated using the probit regression method;a group of 1046 university students from three study programs were the sample subjects. The results show that students who experience higher levels of stress are more likely to report a decline in their grades and learning achievements during the pandemic. It is evidenced that an increase in an additional unit of stress increases the risk of deterioration in academic performance by approximately 3%.