The purpose of this research project was to identify the relationship between critical thinking skills and the academic performance of students in the first semester of the Degree in Biology and Chemistry at Universidad del Atlántico. 34 students participated; 59% of the sample consisted of women and 41% of men. The age varied from 16 years to 40 years, with an average of 20.82 years. For the data collection process, the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Assessment W-GCTA short test –a psychometric test– was used, and the academic performance was observed in the Admissions and Academic Registration Department of Universidad del Atlántico. It was found that students generally have an average academic performance and are placed in the average category of critical thinking skills. On the other hand, the Pearson correlation coefficient revealed important relationships between the skills evaluated and the academic performance. To verify the results of the Pearson correlation, a one-way ANOVA test was used, which resulted in a difference in the means of the variances, which were not homogeneous and, therefore, did not agree with the literature. Among the pedagogical implications under consideration, taking into account the results, it is necessary that teachers understand themselves as researchers, and in this way promote critical reading as well as critical, creative, reflective and analytical thinking, in order to increase the spectrum of youth opportunities.