The purposes of the study were to (1) identify formulas currently used for justifying budget requests or allocating funds for operating expenses of state-supported colleges and universities; (2) provide a comparative analysis of each formula with respect to the functional budget areas recognized, the base and formula factors used, methods of computation, and the extent of differentiation among academic areas, levels of instruction, and institutions; and (3) determine which formula or formulas met general standards of acceptability through an assessment using performance criteria. Ranking officers of higher education coordinating or governing agencies in 46 states and directors of institutional research or finance in four others furnished copies of their current operating budget formulas. Criteria for assessing formula acceptability were derived from previous studies and extrapolated from the literature. Among the conclusions were that: (1) formula funding had increased considerably since its inception in 1951; (2) budget formulas tended to be used by states spending relatively less on higher education or with limited resources; (3) two funding philosophies were reflected in the formulas used statewide: a program equalization policy, and a policy to avoid jeopardizing existing high-quality programs; and (4) for reasons of diversity, no single formula or combination of formulas could be designated as a model for national use. Recommendations are made in the form of guidelines for developing and applying budget formulas. (Author/MSE)