Of the 6,076 students enrolled at Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) in fall 1985, 2,389 (39.3%) were "leavers," i.e., they did not graduate and they did not return in winter 1986. Because new students made up 33.8% of the total fall headcount, but accounted for 41.7% of the leavers, a study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of the leavers and why these students left TNCC. The study focused on students' race, sex, age, and grade point average (GPA). Study findings included the following: (1) the attrition rate for the 18-21 age group (33.9%) was much lower than that for other age groups, all of which had rates higher than 50%; (2) the attrition rate for black females was 39.1%, while black males had an attrition rate of 53.7%; (3) the three major factors identified as contributing to attrition at TNCC were employment, poor academic performance, and nebulous pre-matriculation academic goals and uncertainty about major; and (4) the attrition rate among students seeking to upgrade employment skills for their present job, develop new job skills, or explore a career, or for personal satisfaction was 62.7%, while the attrition rate among students enrolled in curricula leading to an associate degree or certificate was 33.5%. (EJV)