The number and academic standing of high school seniors planning to major in education were lower in 1980 than in 1972. Academic records of those women who planned to major in education were lower compared both to their 1980 classmates who planned to major in other fields, and to their 1972 counterparts. These findings are based on an analysis of data collected in the 1980 High School and Beyond (HS&B) study and in the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS-72). Both HS&B and NLS-72 are national longitudinal studies sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics. In these studies, high school seniors (24,000 in NLS-72 and 28,000 in HS&B) took cognitive tests and completed a questionnaire about their backgrounds, high school experiences, and plans. Students who planned to go to college were also asked about their intended field of study. This analysis involved two groups from the 1972 and 1980 college aspirants: those expecting to major in education and those expecting to enter some other fields.