This study attempted to ascertain the degree to which teacher attrition rates may affect future educational trends on a cross-national basis and to identify particular characteristics, such as class, gender, or academic achievement, that might be associated with those teachers electing to leave and those expecting to remain in the classroom. Socioeconomic status (SES) and its role as an indicator of academic and career expectations are emphasized, and how SES affects the expectations of male and female students from a similar background is examined. The University of Ife in Nigeria and the University of Central Florida, two relatively new schools with similar student populations, were chosen for the study and 200 education majors from each campus were randomly selected to complete questionnaires designed to reflect SES and education and career expectations. Conclusions suggest that while attrition rates will continue to rise, students in the study who expected to remain teachers were not less qualified academically than those expecting to leave teaching. Results also suggest that class is related to student career expectations, but primarily for females; males sampled showed little if any association between career expectations and their family's SES. Included are 13 references and 5 tables. (WTH)