Stress is a mental illness that affects more and more people per year in the world, including students. Objective: To compile the consequences and prevalence of stress experienced by higher education students. Materials and methods: Various databases were consulted, as inclusion criteria were selected articles in English and Spanish, 50 documents emerged, of which 40 were selected. Results: The compilation carried out suggests two important data: 1) Stress is a condition suffered by a significantly higher percentage of higher education students. 2) The consequences that generate stress, in addition to the progressive deterioration of academic performance, is related to the abuse of harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco and behaviors that can lead to depression. Conclusions: It was found that the prevalence has reached considerably high levels in the student population. On the other hand, the consequences of stress show deterioration in academic performance.