A selected population of 2,430 white, native-born, college freshmen women (under 22 years old) who remained at one institution for four years were studied to determine the effects of institutional and other variables on their career aspirations. Variables selected included background, career plans and self-esteem (after one, four, and five years), and college characteristics (including aspects of prestige, size, public/private, sectarian/nonsectarian, coed/women's, percent of women enrolled, percent of women in faculty, percent of BA's awarded in student's area, career indecision among freshmen, academic competitiveness, and perceived concern of faculty for students). Among conclusions were that women who enter college with BA/MA plans and low achievement are most likely to raise their career plans if they attend highly selective women's colleges; women who enter college with high achievement and high self-esteem but BA/MA career plans are most likely to raise their career plans if they attend women's colleges, highly selective universities, and low selectivity nonsectarian coed colleges. Overall the effects on career plans and self-esteem are negative for large, public institutions with low selectivity, and positive for highly selective nonsectarian women's colleges. Tables with comparative statistics are appended. (Author/PHR)