SIX FACTORS OR CATEGORIES OF COLLEGE CHARACTERISTICS WERE COMPUTED FOR 581 ACCREDITED JUNIOR COLLEGES. WHEN THESE INSTITUTIONS WERE CLASSIFIED AND ANALYZED BY GEOGRAPHICAL REGION, SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND AMONG REGIONS ON ALL SIX FACTORS. ON THE CULTURAL AFFLUENCE OR PRIVATE CONTROL FACTOR, THE MAIN TREND SEEMS TO BE FOR COLLEGES IN THE GREAT LAKES STATES AND IN THE FAR WEST TO BE LOWER THAN COLLEGES IN OTHER REGIONS. THE MAJOR TREND ON THE SIZE FACTOR IS FOR COLLEGES IN THE FAR WEST TO BE LARGER. ON THE AGE OR CONVENTIONALISM FACTOR, COLLEGES IN THE SOUTHEAST, SOUTHWEST AND ROCKIES, AND THE PLAINS STATES ARE HIGH WHILE COLLEGES IN THE FAR WEST ARE LOW. ON TRANSFER EMPHASIS, COLLEGES IN NEW ENGLAND AND IN THE MIDEAST ARE EXTREMELY LOW, WITH FEW SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG OTHER REGIONS. THE MAJOR TREND ON THE BUSINESS ORIENTATION, OR HIGH COST FACTOR IS FOR COLLEGES IN NEW ENGLAND, THE MIDEAST, AND THE GREAT LAKES TO BE MUCH HIGHER THAN COLLEGES IN OTHER REGIONS. ESTIMATED FACTOR SCORES FOR EACH OF THE 581 JUNIOR COLLEGES ARE GIVEN. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH, COUNSELING, AND JUNIOR COLLEGE PLANNING. (HS)