Results of a recent study of attrition, retention, and transfer within the system of public higher education in Kentucky are summarized. Attrition, retention, and transfer rates are presented by class level and institution for 1979-80. For first-time full-time freshmen, the university system had an attrition rate of 27.9 percent, ranging from 20.6 percent to 43.9 percent. First-time part-time freshmen had an attrition rate of 64 percent in the university system, ranging from 58 percent to 74 percent. There was a high correlation between the attrition rate of first-time full-time freshmen at a university and its average composite score on the American College Testing (ACT) Program test. A single variate linear regression model relating attrition rate to ACT composite score accounts for 85.2 percent of the variation in attrition among the universities. Adding a qualitative variable to the model to indicate whether a university is primarily residential or commuter produces a new model that accounts for 96.1 percent of the variation in attrition among the universities. Attrition and transfer rates as a function of sex, race, and major are presented, along with plans to extend this project into a longitudinal study that will determine the stability of the rates, the reentry rate of students withdrawing from the system, the persistence rate of each year's cohort, and the average time for program completion. The system consists of eight universities and 13 community colleges. (Author/SW)