By 1979, nonmetro Hispanics trailed Whites and metro Hispanics in rates of high school graduation, college completion, and functional literacy; their relative position for these worsened during the seventies, despite absolute gains. While nonmetro Hispanic school enrollments for ages 3-15 compared favorably with other groups in 1978, 36% of nonmetro Hispanic 16-24 year-olds were school dropouts, more than twice as many as nonmetro Whites. In 1977, 15% of Hispanic farmworkers 25 and older had more than an elementary education, compared with 74% of White farmworkers; income for nonmetro Hispanic men averaged $3,000 less than for nonmetro White men; the corresponding deficit for women was $1,245. In 1976, of five Southwestern states where most nonmetro Hispanics live, only California had more than 50% of limited- and non-English speaking students enrolled in special language programs. In 1979, relatively few nonmetro Hispanic men (5.2%) and women (3.8%) had graduated from 4-year colleges; fewer nonmetro Hispanic males (19.4%) and females (40.4%, many of whom held clerical positions) held white-collar jobs than nonmetro White males (33.1%) and females (54.9%); unemployment rates for nonmetro Hispanics approached 10%. Heavy migration of Hispanics with little schooling from cities to nonmetro areas during 1975-1979 may partially account for differences in educational attainment of metro/nonmetro residents. (Author/MH)