Drawing largely from institutional research prepared at Harcum Junior College (HJC), a private all-female two-year college in Pennsylvania, this report contrasts private junior college students with community college students in terms of their attitudes and values, reasons for attending college, rates of and reasons for attrition, and evaluations of their colleges and programs. First, an overview is provided of the types of two-year colleges and the number of students enrolled in private schools as compared to public colleges. Next, a comparison of attitudes reveals less interest in vocational goals and higher levels of conservatism among private college students. Next, findings from studies of the values of HJC students and public college students are compared, revealing the consistencies in the values of the two groups. Then, the results of three studies are presented, showing the differences in the reasons for attending college of HJC students in 1968; State University of New York, Buffalo, students in 1973; and HJC students in 1978. The following section examines attrition rates and causes at HJC and other public and private two-year colleges in various size and status categories. After comparing the assessments by HJC students of the college with the college evaluations of community college students in New Jersey and Harrisburg Community College in Pennsylvania, the paper discusses the social roles of private and public colleges and the similarities of their students. (HB)