Public and private high school seniors from Alaska were surveyed in an effort to document the pattern of postsecondary education outside the state and to understand the underlying motivations of the "brain drain." For 1979-1980, 3,295 seniors responded (57 percent) to queries on their sex, race, primary home language, family income, academic rank, opinion on school experience, and postsecondary plans. Results include the following: Alaska high school students are generally satisfied with their high school experiences; a large number of seniors feel the need for additional assistance in mathematics skills and in deciding on a career or education; those seniors from households with annual incomes of over $15,000 and those seniors ranking in the upper two quarter of their graduating class are the most likely to pursue postsecondary education; seniors from all four quarters of their graduating class who plan further schooling prefer schooling in states other than Alaska; school prestige and the availability of certain programs motivate seniors to seek education in another state; those seniors planning Alaskan postsecondary attendance have a strong preference for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and the University of Alaska-Anchorage; the private proprietary schools and public vocational-technical schools (Alaska Business College of Anchorage and the Alaska Skill Center of Seward) attract numerous seniors; and a large number of seniors planning postsecondary education are also hoping for financial assistance. The 1979-80 Alaska High School Senior Survey is appended. (CC)