Criticisms have been directed at the quality of professionals entering the teaching field, with the implication that higher quality students pursue degrees other than education and that the academically less talented gravitate toward the teaching profession. To test this idea, a study was conducted to determine if significant differences exist in academic performance between individuals who receive their degrees in education and those who receive Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Business Administration degrees. This study examined academic histories of individuals who received their degrees in education and of those who pursued degrees in nonteaching areas (English, mathematics, history, geography, and biology). From a total of 849 graduates receiving degrees in August 1990 and May 1991, 200 who had obtained undergraduate degrees in the four degree categories were selcted for the study. Fifty students were randomly chosen from each degree category, and respective transcripts were reviewed to determine each subject's performance in a content area. Findings suggest that some differences in academic performance were observed, favoring students outside of teacher education. Only in History 1 of the general studies program did teacher education graduates outperform other students. Future study is recommended to explore whether individuals entering the field of education are as academically talented as other majors in order to provide information regarding an observed trend toward attracting better students to teacher training programs. (LL)