The Course Entry Inventory was developed to assess the affective characteristics of college students when they enter a course. The four dimensions measured were: affective characteristics upon entry, willingness to undertake course activities and accept instruction, perceived importance of the course, and self-reported level of apprehension about the particular course. The inventory was administered to graduate and undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Kansas. The data, collected from 592 education majors, is presented. Use and refinement of the inventory resulted in five subscale scores: assuredness, career relevance, internal versus external motivation, preference for lecture, and attitudinal entry level. Indices of internal consistency reliability were found to be acceptable. It was concluded that the inventory could be a useful device in instructional systems that require the monitoring of student affect. Recommendations for further research and comments on the inventory's potential are included. (DSE)