Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder affecting healthcare systems and health globally, and its early awareness can prevent disease development. The study aimed to explore students' awareness of DM, which had received little attention in developing countries like Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional study in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, surveyed 658 participants using an online questionnaire to assess their understanding, knowledge, and attitudes towards DM, using a binary logistic regression model for statistical analysis. Result: A total of 658 participants included 5.3% diabetic and 84.7 non-diabetic, with 62.3% of males and 37.7% of females being non-significantly associated with diabetes and having a 1.02-time high risk for it crude odds ratio (COR)=1.02, 95% confidence interval (Cl)=0.51-2.07. Unmarried individuals, non-smokers, and those with higher education levels significantly increased their risk of developing diabetes by 15 times (p-value=0.001). The study found that over 76% of participants were aware of general diabetes information, especially “DM leads to foot problems and other organ issues,” which are significantly associated with diabetes but have a lower risk of developing it. Fewer respondents (17.3%-68.7%) knew about diabetes complications and symptoms. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that students with a higher awareness of risk factors and preventive measures (62.9%-93.6%) had a lower risk of developing diabetes (COR= < 1).