State plans for higher education since 1960 are considered, with attention to factors highlighted for attention in planning documents, goals established for the higher education planning process, and recommendations advanced to achieve those goals. A total of 63 comprehensive state plans for higher education were included: 7 state plans were developed in the 1960s, 26 plans were from the 1970s, and 30 were from the 1980s. The number and percentage are indicated for each issue, goal, and recommendation by broad topic area and decade. Planning documents in the 1960s focused on demography, enrollment, and issues related to expansion. In the 1970s, demography and enrollments and the expansion of opportunities to new student clienteles were important, along with higher education financing and the effects of the economy and labor market needs. College costs and the economy dominated in the 1980s, while demography and enrollment remained important. The most frequently cited goals in the 1960s and 1970s were accountability and efficiency. In the 1970s, the goals of access and diversity emerged, while quality was the predominant goal of the 1980s. (SW)