The purpose of this investigation was to relate causes for dropping out of college to a wide range of characteristics of both the students and the institutions involved. Specifically, it aimed to identify entrance characteristics of types of college dropouts related to their sex and the institution's environmental presses. Comprehensive data were obtained on 2 complete entering classes at the University of Michigan. Two years later, additional data were obtained from a followup survey of Michigan dropouts as well as from dropouts from the University of Washington. A typology was developed consisting of social, academic, religious, and 2 intellective-cosmopolitan variables. Different entrance characteristics were found to be associated with different dropout types and varied consistently according to the sex of the student. Persisting students appeared to have the same problem and at the same intensity as dropouts. It was concluded that future research must take the student's sex and the type of dropout into consideration in designing studies. Data related to salient environmental presses should also be analyzed. And, attitudinal variables are more useful than demographic data in distinguishing among types of dropouts. (JS)