A study involving 513 developmental math students at eight Illinois community colleges was conducted to determine the correlation between student success or failure in developmental math courses and nine independent variables: (1) instructional method, i.e. "traditional," in which the instructor sets the pace for learning, and "nontraditional," in which students set the pace for learning; (2) cognitive style; (3) numerical skills; (4) age; (5) sex; (6) students' assessment of their math knowledge; (7) student attitudes toward math; (8) students' assessment of their math ability; and (9) their reasons for taking developmental courses. During the study, students were divided into traditional and nontraditional groups and were administered two tests: the Group Embedded Figures Test to identify cognitive style and Form H of the Career Planning Program to assess numerical skills. Data for the remaining independent variables were gathered in a student survey. Stepwide multiple discriminant analysis was used to determine those variables which discriminated between passing and failing students at a .10 level of significance. Study results identified five significant variables indicating that the successful student was more likely to have higher numerical skills, be in a traditionally taught course, be older, have higher perceptions of his/her math abilities, and have more positive attitudes toward math. A literature review is included. (JP)