The comprehension ability of reading in the higher education can be the difference between a quality scientific technical learning or not. This research aimed to explore the relation between the reading comprehension and the academic performance, considering the age and gender of the students. The sample was composed of 270 undergraduates of the administration, law and psychology courses, attending at a private university of the São Paulo State. They aged in average 23 years and 6 months, and collectively answered a text of 250 words, organized according the test of Cloze, in its traditional version. The results showed a significant association between reading comprehension and performance in relation to the course, the age and gender.