The relationship between academic stress and compulsive smartphone use among college students has been extensively studied, yet empirical findings remain inconsistent and inconclusive. Moreover, potential moderating factors affecting this relationship have received limited scholarly attention. This study addresses these research gaps by examining the relationship between academic stress and compulsive smartphone use and the moderating roles of academic buoyancy and future time perspective in this relationship. Using convenience sampling, data were collected from 439 English Language Learning Students (ELLS) at Ningxia Medical University. We employed covariance-based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) to test our hypotheses. Results revealed a significant positive relationship between academic stress and compulsive smartphone use. Furthermore, academic buoyancy emerged as a significant positive moderator of this relationship, whereas future time perspective showed no significant moderating effect. These findings offer practical implications for developing targeted interventions to mitigate compulsive smartphone use among college students.