In the university setting, physical education students constitute a distinct group facing unique challenges and pressures. These students not only contend with typical academic expectations but also encounter physical challenges and competition. One of the issues that may arise in this context is competitive anxiety, which can have widespread effects on the performance and mental well-being of this group of students. Given the significance of competitive anxiety in the lives of physical education students, examining various elements such as sports anxiety, cyberchondria, and learned helplessness in this group with and without competitive anxiety holds particular importance. This study aims to enhance understanding of the impacts of these factors on the lives of physical education students by comparing them. In this regard, the present research, using a descriptive comparative design, focused on comparing sports anxiety, cyberchondria, and learned helplessness in students with and without competitive anxiety. The study population consisted of physical education students at Tarbiat Modares University in the year 2023. A targeted sample of 300 students (150 with competitive anxiety and 150 without competitive anxiety) was selected, and data were collected using questionnaires on sports anxiety, cyberchondria, learned helplessness, and competitive anxiety. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 24 software, employing statistical indices and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to test the research hypotheses. It is worth noting that the significance level in this research was set at 0.05. The results indicated significant differences in sports anxiety, cyberchondria, and learned helplessness between students with and without competitive anxiety (p < 0.01). Accordingly, it was revealed that students with competitive anxiety experienced higher levels of sports anxiety, cyberchondria, and learned helplessness compared to their counterparts without competitive anxiety (p < 0.01). The findings of this study demonstrate that physical education students with competitive anxiety, in comparison to those without this anxiety, undergo higher levels of sports anxiety, cyberchondria, and learned helplessness. These findings present crucial insights that can inform the design of programs and interventions to effectively enhance the mental health and stress management of physical education students. Increasing awareness in the areas of anxiety management and developing cyberchondria can assist students in facing the challenges of university and sports, paving the way for their betterment and development.