This study was motivated by the low levels of academic achievement obtained by the University students, the objective was to explain the difference between those who are successful and those who are not. The theory of self- regulation of learning was used, so to identify them, a descriptive, non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational study was carried out, with a convenience sample. The data were obtained through a survey, which reflects self-regulated learning, applied to 268 students, and was analyzed using the SPSS 18 statistic. The result was that, of the two roles of self-regulated learning, the one that has a greater relationship with outstanding academic performance was that of learning strategies in the components: metacognitive self-regulation and regulation of effort. Regarding the role of motivation, only the anxiety component was related to this performance, in the opposite direction: the higher the anxiety, the lower the academic performance. It is recommended to implement an institutional program to reinforce learning strategies, with special emphasis on metacognitive self-regulation and effort regulation. In the case of anxiety, it is recommended to deepen the study of the causes that originate it, to reduce its incidence.