In 1989, North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) conducted a study of transfer students to examine the relative effect of college attendance on academic achievement, transfer students' satisfaction with their college experience, and the college's fulfillment of general education goals. The study examined the length of exposure to college effects, as measured by total semester credit hours (SCH) earned, and student satisfaction with NIACC as determined through a mailed survey. Study findings, based on a 61.24% response rate, included the following: (1) a significant relationship existed between SCH earned at NIACC and the level of transfer student satisfaction with NIACC preparation for the workplace; (2) no significant difference or relationship was observed between SCH earned at NIACC and grade point average at graduation from a four-year institution; (3) no difference was observed between SCH and student satisfaction with the extent to which NIACC had prepared them as individuals, citizens, or family members; (4) the number of SCH earned at NIACC had little or no influence to student outcomes. However, the data did prove that the length of community college attendance was not negatively related to selected student outcomes. Appendixes state the purposes and hypotheses of the study, list general education goals, report findings from previous studies on community college effects, present the demographic characteristics of NIACC students, and offer a summary and conclusions. (JMC)