The use of quantitative approaches to the management of higher education and implications for legislative concerns are considered. Among the new developments and practices that illustrate the use of quantitative approaches to management are the following: basic structures for categorizing programs and activities for reporting and analysis; procedures for determing unit costs; financial reporting and audit guidelines; and use of measures of outcomes of higher education. Major categories of legislative concern are that: higher education institutions be run efficiently; higher education institutions have effective and relevant programs; institutions and programs needing funding be identified; and the degree of state support for postsecondary education be determined relative to other state priorities. It is noted that efficiency does not indicate program effectiveness, and that quantitative approaches may indicate the efficiency of an institution, but not how to make an institution more efficient. It is suggested that quantitative approaches to assessing opinions about value, success, and satisfaction with programs may help decision-makers in judging program effectiveness. It is claimed that quantitative approaches have helped very little, except in improving basic data, in determining what should be funded and to what extent. The future possibility of having an access to a higher education rate, a scholastic achievement rate, a cost of education rate, and other types of indicators is noted to stimulate thinking about additional options. (SW)