STUDENTS FROM NINE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AROUND THE UNITED STATES WERE STUDIED TO DETERMINE THE COMPATIBILITY OF CERTAIN STUDENT INFLUENCES WITH THE PURPOSES OF THE INSTITUTIONS. CORRELATIONAL STUDIES WERE MADE ON 1,319 PARTICIPATING STUDENTS. DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM THE COLLEGE CHARACTERISTICS INDEX (CCI) AND COLLEGE CHARACTERISTICS ANALYSIS (CCA) QUESTIONNAIRES, AND OTHER MEASURES. COMPARISONS WERE MADE TO RELATE THE CHARACTERS OF STUDENTS TO ENVIRONMENT AND SUBCULTURES, ACHIEVEMENT, SELF-CONCEPT, AND COLLEGE SATISFACTION. GENERALIZATIONS FROM THE RESULTS WERE--(1) THERE ARE ACADEMIC SUBGROUPS THAT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE COLLEGE ENVIRONMENT, (2) THERE ARE SUBGROUPS WHOSE MEMBERS DIFFER FROM THE STUDENT BODY, AND (3) THERE ARE SUBGROUPS THAT DIFFER FROM THE COLLEGE IN THE ATTAINMENT OF EDUCATIONAL GOALS. MOST OF THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE RELATIONSHIP OF COMPATIBILITY AND SUCCESS. (RS)