ALEXANDER W. ASTIN is professor of higher education and director of the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. He lives in Los Angeles.

"An essential addition for the library of any college administrator, faculty member, or student affairs professional. It cuts through many of the myths in higher education with data-driven observations and conclusions. It is one of the best of its kind on the market. If you are invloved in the higher education enterprise, it is a must."

• Introduction to the Paperback Edition xiPreface xixThe Author xxix1 Studying College Impact 12 Environmental Variables 323 Assessing Environmental Effects: A Prototypical Example 834 Personality and Self-Concept 1055 Attitudes, Value, and Beliefs 1416 Patterns of Behavior 1657 Academic and Cognitive Development 1868 Career Development 2459 Satisfaction with the College Environment 27310 Summary of Environmental Effects 31211 Effects of Involvement 36512 Implications for Educational Theory and Practice 396Resource A: Multiple Correlations at Selected Steps 438Resource B: Longitudinal Changes in the Weighted and Unweighted Samples 442References 447Index 457