Academic and nonacademic variables that may predict persistence in the nursing program at Lakeland Community College, Ohio, were studied. The academic variables included American College Testing program standard scores, National League for Nursing (NLN) rank scores, high school grade point average, and previous college grade point average. The nonacademic variables included marital status, sex, admission pattern, age, prior nursing type experience, study habits, attitudes, and interests. Student records were analyzed for 251 former Lakeland students who entered in 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977 and either graduated or withdrew from the nursing program by June 1979. Additionally, 672 students who had entered the Lakeland program during the fall of 1970 or later were sent a mail quesionnaire, and 232 replied. It was found that persisters ranked significantly higher on NLN examination's composite, reading comprehension, and social studies sections, and they tended to have significantly higher high school grade point averages than the nonpersisters. Additionally, persisters in the nursing program were more likely to be older females, who had delayed their entry from high school and had some practical licensed nursing experience prior to admission. These persisters were willing to deal with the everyday demands of education and were knowledgeable of the job opportunities in nursing. The noncompletors were younger, perhaps motivated by an idealistic conception of serving humanity, and less committed to the rigors of the education necessary to achieve their goals. (SW)