The recent progress, current status, and future prospects of blacks, Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, and American Indians in higher education were evaluated, and recommendations aimed at furthering the educational development of these groups were formulated. Access to higher education, choice or institutions and fields of study, degree attainment, and controversial issues relating to the higher education of minorities were analyzed. Findings include the following: the high school dropout rate for blacks is approximately 28 percent (compared to 17 percent for whites) and 45 percent for Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans; academic performance in secondary school was a much more important predictor of undergraduate grades and persistence than standardized test scores; the higher the quality of the undergraduate institution attended, the greater the minority student's chances of persisting to the baccalaureate and of enrolling in graduate and professional school; and between 1973 and 1977, the share of doctorates awarded to members of the four minority groups increased from 3.8 to 6.2 percent. Factors influencing educational progress were assessed in relation to entering student characteristics and college environmental characteristics (institutional characteristics, field of study, financial aid, and place of residence). Recommendations are offered pertaining to the value-added model, precollegiate education, community colleges, academic and personal support services, access to higher education, financial aid, bilingualism, graduate and professional education, minority faculty and administrators, government programs, minority women, data pertaining to minorities, evaluation of minority-oriented programs, and further research on minorities. (SW)