Preventing the spread of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) among sexually active adolescents and adults has become a primary social concern. This study was designed to investigate the following areas relevant to safer and unsafe sexual behavior among college students: knowledge and practice; personal risk assessment; and risk tolerance. Undergraduate college students (N=100) were surveyed concerning components of knowledge and practices related to safer sexual behavior, risk assessment for Human Immune Virus (HIV), and general life style risk behaviors. One of the most significant findings was that while college students had an understanding of the global, rudimentary facts pertaining to AIDS and HIV, there is an information gap regarding actual safe-sex behaviors that can lead to the reduction of the risk of HIV transmission. Students clearly assess themselves to be at less risk than either their best friend or an attractive stranger of the opposite sex. No significant relationship was found with regard to high-risk sexual behaviors and high-risk non-sexual behaviors. Since it appears that high-risk sex may be a unique behavior that cannot be predicted from other high-risk areas of a person's life. (ABL)