A small number of studies conducted during the 1980's provide insights into the magnitude of transfer activity and the characteristics of students who are likely to transfer. The studies, based occasionally on state data and more frequently on secondary analyses of the U.S. Department of Education's longitudinal databases, reveal that: (1) transfer rates for entering community college students range from 20% to 29%; (2) men are more likely to transfer than women; (3) minority students are less likely to transfer than white students; (4) students from relatively high socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to transfer than those from relatively low socioeconomic backgrounds; (5) students who take an academic program in high school are more likely to transfer than students enrolled in vocational or general tracks; (6) students who earn higher grades at the community college, enroll on a full-time basis, and take more math and science courses are more likely to transfer than those who earn lower grades, enroll part-time, and avoid math and science courses; (7) students who are more engaged with community college campus life (who live or work on campus) are more likely to transfer than students who merely commute to classes; and (8) students transfer at almost any point after enrollment at the community college, with the number who obtain an associate degree varying greatly from study to study. However, these findings, valuable as they are, present the community colleges as a unitary construct, rather than a set of different institutions. Research must begin now to assess the effects of variables that maybe reasonably expected to contribute to transfer, such as the strength of the liberal arts curriculum, transfer arrangements, and matriculation and guidance services. (JSP)