Factors influencing migrant students in decisions to drop out or graduate from high school were determined in interviews with 24 dropouts and potential dropouts and 22 students who had graduated. Profiles were compiled on each group. Data were collected from twelfth grade migrant students in northern California. The main appeal of school to the dropouts was the social life; teachers and classes were the most disliked aspects of school. Dropouts seemed to experience major family problems, including divorce, death and sickness, much more often than graduates, and the main factor influencing students to drop out was family need, often financial. Irregular attendance was characteristic of 96% of the dropouts. Only 50% felt their parents considered graduation as important and only 25% had siblings who completed high school. Graduates experienced more stable family lives, had families that valued education, attended school regularly, established more positive relationships with teachers, and were more involved in extracurricular activities. Efforts to encourage dropouts to stay in school might include better communication between students and teachers, encouragement of extracurricular activities, inclusion and transition activities for new students, work study and English as a second language programs, and a Migrant Education staff to counsel, befriend, and act as a liaison between students and school staff. (DS)