PURPOSE: To estimate the prevalence of strabismus in Natal, Brazil, among elementary and high school students of the public and private educational systems, in addition to detecting etiological factors. METHODS: 1024 students were randomly selected and submitted to a questionnaire and a complete ophthalmologic examination, by professors and resident physicians in Ophthalmology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. RESULTS: Of 1024 students, 1015 were examined; 29 were found to have strabismus (2.9%), 20 of whom had manifest exotropia (2%), 2 had intermittent exotropia (0.2%), 6 had esotropia (0.6%) and 1 had V anisotropies (0.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The strabismus prevalence of the student population of Natal falls within the range of the worldwide population. There was ocular lesion in only one student (retinochoroiditis scar on the posterior pole in both eyes) related to strabismus.