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Abstract Stress has emerged as a significant psychological concern among postgraduate students, driven by escalating academic workloads, competitive performance expectations, career-related uncertainty, and evolving social and personal responsibilities. Prolonged exposure to stress during this critical developmental period can adversely affect psychological well-being, academic performance, and overall quality of life. Emotional regulation strategies and coping mechanisms are widely recognized as key psychological resources that influence how individuals perceive, experience, and manage stress. However, limited empirical research has systematically examined their combined predictive role among postgraduate populations. The present study investigates the relationship between emotional regulation strategies, coping styles, and perceived stress levels among postgraduate students. A quantitative, correlational research design was employed, and data were collected from a sample of 180 postgraduate students aged between 21 and 30 years, drawn from diverse academic disciplines. Standardized psychometric tools were used for assessment, including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) to measure stress levels, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) to assess cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, and the Brief COPE Inventory to evaluate adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies. Statistical analyses comprised descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product–moment correlation, and multiple regression analysis to determine the predictive value of emotional regulation and coping strategies on perceived stress. The findings revealed a significant negative correlation between cognitive reappraisal and perceived stress, indicating that students who effectively reframe stressful situations experience lower stress levels. In contrast, expressive suppression demonstrated a significant positive correlation with perceived stress. Furthermore, adaptive coping strategies—such as problem-focused coping, positive reframing, and seeking social support—were found to be significant negative predictors of stress. Conversely, maladaptive coping strategies—including avoidance, denial, and behavioral disengagement—significantly predicted higher levels of perceived stress. Overall, the study underscores the critical role of emotional regulation abilities and coping strategies in shaping stress experiences among postgraduate students. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing cognitive reappraisal and promoting adaptive coping skills may be effective in reducing stress within academic settings. Implications for psychological counseling services, stress-management programs, and institutional mental health policies are discussed, along with recommendations for future research focusing on longitudinal designs and intervention-based approaches.