The two main problems of the junior college are increasing enrollment and the resulting difficulty of procuring qualified teachers. As they are usually chosen on the basic of personal characteristics, pre-service preparation, and experience, this study assessed these factors to see if they showed a significant difference between high and low merit-rated teachers in Florida junior colleges. (The factor of preparation was divided into teaching experience and professional education.) The study included 279 teachers from 12 colleges, who taught full-time in 1961-62 (at least half-time in an academic subject) and rated in the upper or lower third on Florida's Teacher Evaluation (TE-1) Form. The high- and low-rated teachers were compared for 35 personal, pre-service training, and prior experience factors and these factors were compared on the basis of merit-rating and sex. Chi-square analysis showed three statistically significant relationships (P .05) involving merit-rating and ten involving sex. The three for merit-rating and sex approached significance (.10 level). Particulars of the most influential factors are shown in the six conclusions. Various implications of the study are examined. Recommended are a follow-up study using some other teacher-rating method than the TE-1, and five other comparisons not made in this study. (HH)