This study examines the correlation between stress and academic performance using the life events model to measure stress. Full-time nursing students enrolled in an associate degree program at a rural community college were participants in this study. This study concludes that there is a weak negative correlation between stress and grade point average; r=.2553 with a significance of .024. Further study is recommended to examine the effect of coping strategies, age, socioeconomic status on stress and its relationship to academic performance among community college students.