Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study, 1988 (NELS: 88), this paper documents differences in the socioeconomic plans of students in two-year and four-year colleges. We found attendance at a two-year college led to a modest but statistically significant disadvantage in socioeconomic plans. However, the impact of attending a community college on educational and occupational goals are conditional rather than general. That is, the negative impact on socioeconomic plans of attending a two-year college held for women but not men. Finally, according to our research, the negative effect of attending a two-year college differed in magnitude by an individual's tested cognitive preparation. In particular, attending a two-year college significantly reduced subsequent socioeconomic plans only for students with relatively high precollege test scores. (Contains 3 tables.)