The changing profile of students enrolled in the school of agriculture at Auburn University raised several questions concerning the critical social factors and background characteristics associated with a student's decision to major in agriculture and the relation of this educational choice to eventual career goals. After classifying agriculture majors into three groups (production agriculture, agribusiness, and non-agriculture), a three-wave mail questionnaire was sent in early 1977 to a representative sample (N-569) of Auburn's agriculture students. Special attention was given to such structural factors as rural residential background, father's occupation, and socializing experiences such as farmwork and participation in agriculture-related organizations. The foremost conclusion drawn from the data was that the decision to pursue a college major in agriculture was influenced by the same factors found to influence choice of college curriculum in previous studies. Since the effect of neither structural nor socializing influences individually or together adequately explained educational and occupational choices, greater theoretical emphasis needs to be placed on the variety of influences that come to bear when making such decisions. (EJ/BR)