Background & Objectives: University and its stressful experiences may play an important role in increasing problems such as depression, anxiety, behavioral disorders, and some other mental diseases. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationships between mental health and emotional intelligence and comparing these psychological variables in athlete and non-athlete male students of Payam-Noor University, Ardabil branch. Methods: In this causal-comparison study, 120 athlete and 120 non-athlete students of Payam-Noor University were selected based on classical randomized sampling method. Sharing Emotional Intelligence and GHQ-28 Questionnaires were used to measure emotional intelligence and mental health, respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyze data using SPSS.V.18 software. Significant level of α = 0.05 was applied for all hypotheses. Results: Results from Pearson Correlation Coefficient Test showed a positive significant relationship between mental health and emotional intelligence for both groups. Independent t-test produced significant differences in emotional intelligence and mental health between athlete and non-athlete students. The emotional intelligence and mental health of athletes were significantly higher than those of non-athletes. In addition, mental health and emotional intelligence of married students were higher than those of singles. Furthermore, students in Physical Education Major had higher emotional intelligence and mental health levels than other majors. Results from one-way analysis of variance indicated that values for mental health and emotional intelligence do not significantly differ between age groups. Conclusion: In general, it seems that university life involves numerous complex stresses and the ability to deal with these stresses through acquiring emotional capabilities with participating in athletic activities lead to physical, emotional, and mental health promotion.