Introduction: The demands faced by students in an academic institution often result in an inevitably stressful experience. In this study we aimed to identify the prevalence of stress in students from the University of Los Lagos, Osorno. Methods: A sample of 314 nursing, speech and hearing therapy, kinesiology and nutrition students was included in the study. We applied the SISCO inventory of academic stress that measures stress level, stress factors, symptoms and coping strategies. Results: 98% of students have experienced academic stress, with women (96.24%) being more stressed than men (88.57%). The stressors most frequently mentioned by students were student assessments (exams) (95.6%) and overload of homework and assignments (92.3%). A significant difference was found in the "student assessment" factor among university courses (p-value < 0.009). Regarding the stress symptoms, most report drowsiness (86.3%) and concentration problems (77.4%). Significant differences were found, according to course, in chronic fatigue (p-value < 0.002) and digestion problems (p-value < 0.006). With regard to gender, several of the symptoms are more prevalent in women. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of stress in students in the area of health. Women have higher levels of stress. Differences were observed in the student assessment, chronic fatigue and abdominal pain factors, according to university course. Kinesiology is the course with the lowest level of stress in each of these factors.