To determine what effect marriage deferment might have on the ability of both sexes to achieve higher educational levels and, therefore, possibly higher occupational status, the study examined socioeconomic status, attitudes toward future educational and occupational attainments, actual educational and occupational attainments, and desired marriage age among 1052 black and white rural youths of both sexes in five southern states. The study used longitudinal data collected under the auspices of the Southern Youth Study in 1966, 1968, and 1972. The four-stage analysis examined the relationship between social origin and marriage deferment; the influence on marriage deferment of adolescent attitudes on education, occupation and marriage; and the consequences of marriage deferment on early adult achievement attitudes and attainment. The findings imply that marriage deferment is not determined by social class, that marriage deferment has a possible effect on achievement attainment, that the relationship of achievement attitudes and marriage deferment differs by race, and that the achievement attitudes for females are significantly depressed by early marriage. Although the results cannot be generalized to all populations, the study has both practical and theoretical applications. (SB)