This study explored the relationships among perceived stress, coping style, and academic performance in 210 students from a mid-sized public university and a small private college. Study participants were asked to complete the Perceived Stress Scale, the Brief COPE Questionnaire, and a demographic survey asking about their age, gender, grade point average (GPA), and any recent stressors. Coping strategies were categorized as problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidant. The research hypotheses were: (a) Students who employed problem- and emotion-focused coping techniques would report higher GPAs than students who used avoidant coping techniques; (b) Gender would affect perceived stress levels and coping styles; (c) Students' academic year would be related to stress, with freshmen reporting higher perceived stress than advanced students; and (d) Minority students would report higher levels of perceived stress than non-minority students. The study found no significant correlation between coping style and GPA. In line with previous research, women reported higher levels of perceived stress; however, their coping styles and self-reported grades were not different from those of their male peers. The study also failed to find a relationship between perceived stress and academic year, or between perceived stress and minority status. These results may have been impacted by the small sample size, which only included White and Hispanic students. This study failed to discover a reason why female students did not outperform male students even though they used effective coping strategies. Future research might explore students' beliefs, attitudes, and levels of motivation in relation to academic achievement. The study also recommends exploring the unique stressors associated with each year of college, and designing interventions that address these stressors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]