The everyday incidence of stress is common. It may have an impact on someone’s psychological health. However, if it is not adequately handled, it could be hazardous. Stress is more common among university students. Stress is an international concern. Students today tend to be more agitated and anxious than students in past generations. Whether dispositional optimism, perceived academic control, self-esteem, and cognitive intervention will have an impact on felt stress was the subject of this study. This survey included a total of 367 students from public universities in Malaysia’s northern region. The study had a six-month time frame. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that among university students, cognitive intervention and self-esteem have the greatest influence on perceived stress.