In the California Community Colleges (CCC), students who participate in athletics must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit units during the season of participation and must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0. In 1989, a study was conducted to determine whether there were differences in the educational goal achievement of student athletes and a comparison group of non-athletes. The study sample included 924 student athletes who participated in women's volleyball, softball, and basketball and men's basketball, football, and track and field during the 1986-87 academic year. Transcripts of athletes' academic achievement over a 3-year period (1986-87 through 1988-89) were provided by 11 participating community colleges. For comparative purposes, each college also submitted transcripts and demographic data for a sample of 1,034 non-athletes who attempted 12 units in fall 1986 or spring 1987. Study findings included the following: (1) women athletes earned a higher GPA (2.63) than the men (2.45) and completed more units (42.70 compared to 35.50); (2) athletes completed more units (37.3) than the comparison group (33.0), but earned a slightly lower GPA (2.50 versus 2.62); (3) Black male athletes as well as Black male and female comparison group students had lower GPA's than other ethnic groups, although Black and Hispanic athletes had higher GPA's than their comparison group counterparts; and (4) athletes consistently completed fewer transfer units and earned lower GPA's in transfer courses than comparison group students. A discussion of policy implications and directions for further study, data reporting forms, and detailed data tables are included. (PAA)