This article examines academic and economic progression of 8th graders using the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS 88). In terms of educational mobility, this analysis indicates it is clearly better to possess academic ability--middle-school students who have high-academic ability but low family socioeconomic status (SES) obtain baccalaureate degrees at over twice the rate of modest-ability students from affluent families. The findings in this article indicate considerable economic mobility. Over one in five middle-school students whose family was in the lowest SES quartile had advanced to the highest SES quartile as young adults--the keys to this advancement are attainment of the baccalaureate degree, attendance in a private middle school, and an intensive curriculum in high school. This does not diminish the strong positive effect that parental income has on student success; however, it clearly indicates that students from the lowest SES can achieve economic and academic success, despite meager economic resources. (Contains 5 tables and 11 footnotes.)