Although studies have demonstrated that stress exacerbates suicidal ideation, limited research has explored the moderating role of meaning in life in the relationship between stress and suicidal ideation. Therefore, this study investigates whether stress and meaning in life are crucial factors in suicidal ideation and whether meaning in life moderates the relationship between stress and suicidal ideation. We recruited 2,094 college students from seven universities in different regions of China. The results of hierarchical regression analyses show that suicidal ideation is positively correlated with stress but negatively with meaning in life, and that meaning in life moderates the relationship between suicidal ideation and personal hassle. These results indicate that intervention strategies that focus on meaning in life can be influential in mitigating suicidal ideation among college students.