Data pertaining to Puerto Rican and Mexican American prospective engineering students, obtained from a 1978 survey conducted by the Minority Engineering Education Effort, are analyzed. Of the total population of 2,423 respondents, 426 were Mexican American and 122 were Puerto Rican. The study population was identified as interested in attending a four-year college and undertaking a quantitative curriculum; those surveyed were among the top two-thirds of scorers taking college entrance examinations. Twenty-six percent of the Puerto Rican respondents lived in Puerto Rico, while 39 percent lived in New York. Seventy-two percent of the Mexican American respondents lived in California and Texas. The majority of the respondents were in the last 2 years of high school, while about 20 percent were in their freshman year of college. Approximately 37 percent of the parents of the Hispanic respondents had less than a high school degree. The median income for the Mexican American households was $14,350, which was $1,750 higher than the median income for Puerto Rican respondents. Fifty percent of the Mexican American students' fathers were employed in engineering or architecture, compared to 41 percent for Puerto Ricans. Approximately 10 percent of the Mexican American students' mothers were employed in engineering or architecture, compared to 11 percent for Puerto Ricans. Information is also presented on siblings, Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, high school performance, career choice, parental and counselor influence, degree sought, and role models. Nearly 74 percent of the respondents were acquainted with minority engineers or scientists, and the majority of the students expected to obtain a master's degree in engineering. (SW)