This volume provides comparative data highlighting significant trends affecting colleges and universities in the Southern region of the United States, the area served by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). A look at trends for the region makes it apparent that the region is growing more diverse. It is also evident that the economy of the Southern United States is growing as educational attainment rises in the region. At present, 23% of Southerners have bachelors degrees or higher. Educational access is increasing in the SREB area in parallel with the increasing diversity of the region, and educational success is also increasing. Students and their families carry a greater financial burden. In half of the SREB states, tuition and fees account for a larger percentage of median family income than they do nationwide. In spite of this, financial strains remain for colleges in the region. Data are summarized in these sections: (1) "Population and Economy"; (2) "Enrollment"; (3) "Degrees"; (4) "Tuition and Student Financial Aid"; (5) "Faculty and Administrators"; (6) "Revenues and Expenditures"; and (7) "SREB-State Data Exchange Agencies." (Contains 78 tables and 31 graphs.) (SLD)