ObjectiveTo analyze the impact of disaster prevention and preparedness education courses on college students’ awareness, actions and abilities of disaster prevention and preparedness, so as to provide a reference for the establishment and optimization of disaster education-related courses in colleges.MethodsStudents who took the optional course “Disaster Preparedness Education” of Sichuan University in the fall semester of 2019 to 2020 were included. Questionnaires were issued before and after the course to compare the differences in awareness, actions and abilities of disaster prevention and preparedness of college students before and after the course. We also analyzed the differences between college students of different genders and college students of different grades.ResultsFinally, 148 college students were included. After the course, college students’ awareness scores (9.24±0.61 vs. 6.11±0.52), action scores (6.89±0.70 vs. 2.65±0.58) and ability scores (33.73±1.61 vs. 18.55±1.88) of disaster prevention and preparedness were improved compared to those before the course, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Before the course, boys’ disaster prevention and preparedness awareness score was higher than that of girls (6.48±0.56 vs. 5.23±0.44), the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); there was no significant difference in the scores of actions or abilities of disaster prevention and preparedness between boys and girls (P>0.05). After the course, there was no statistically significant difference in any of the scores between boys and girls (P>0.05). Before and after the course, there was no statistically significant difference in any of the scores between the senior college students and the lower college students (P>0.05). College students’ overall satisfaction with disaster preparedness education was relatively high, with the highest scores for teaching methods and assessment methods.ConclusionDisaster preparedness education courses have a positive effect on improving the comprehensive qualities of college students’ disaster preparedness awareness, actions, and abilities, but it is necessary to attract more college students to participate and increase the scope of the course.