Students enrolled in a college preparatory reading class were categorized based on language origin. Native English speakers comprised one group and foreign students were dichotomized into Latin-based (for example, Spanish) and non Latin-based (for example, Japanese) language groups. A pretest assessment quantified existing knowledge of Latinate word parts and morphologically complex vocabulary; the identical instrument served as a posttest. Two sections on both the pretest and posttest yielded a total of four distinct mean scores that formed the primary basis for comparison. Categorizing students within the college preparatory reading class based on language origin revealed distinct strengths and weaknesses relative to L1 status. The results of this study suggest that college preparatory students enter higher education with limited knowledge of Latinate word parts and related vocabulary. Additionally, the results evince the utility of morphological analysis as a vocabulary acquisition strategy--regardless of language origin. (Contains 4 figures, 11 tables and 3 notes.)