A study was conducted on the transition to adulthood among women, age fourteen through twenty-four, who were high school dropouts or who did not attend college immediately after high school. Data for 1968-73 was gathered in interviews and from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Experience. The information obtained was related to the subject's education, employment, training, and family experience. Relationships were examined among race, school leaving, motherhood, and employment status. School leaving and the imminence of marriage or a child were found to be associated with a major shift toward family role; the child's arrival resulted in a shift towards positive work attitudes. Almost two out of three black dropouts and one out of three white dropouts plan to return to school; however, most do not return. Dropouts experienced higher unemployment rates, more part-time work, and less pay than graduates. When dropouts were compared to graduates after five years, findings revealed that most graduates were working, and most dropouts were not. By 1973 there were still substantial wage differences between graduates and dropouts. It was concluded that child-related considerations relate to dropping out and subsequently affect the ability of a woman to take formal training programs and to find meaningful employment at a reasonable salary. (CSS)