This report examines the eighth grade cohort of 1888 in the year 2000. It presents findings from the fourth followup survey of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), from the year in which most cohort members turned 26. The period in which this cohort attended school saw major initiatives in educational reform in the United States, with one of the most notable changes being an increase in student loans for higher education. Many social and economic forces may have affected this cohort as well. The data of the fourth followup were collected at a key stage of life transitions for the class of 1988. Most had been out of high school for nearly 8 years, and many had completed their educations and started to form families. By 2000, most had earned a high school diploma (83%), and an additional 9% had earned a GED. In 2000, 29% of the cohort had obtained a bachelors degree, and nearly 47% had some postsecondary credits. About 96% were employed in a full- or part-time job, with those who had a high school degree more likely to be employed than those who did not. Information is also provided on labor market experiences, current work and education activities, income, family formation activities, and civic and leisure activities. Three appendixes contain technical notes and a glossary, a list of areas of inquiry pursued with NELS:88 data, and standard error tables. (Contains 19 tables, 12 figures, and 103 references.) (SLD)