THE REGENTS PLAN OF 1964 IS THE FIRST OF A PROJECTED SERIES OF REPORTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION PLANNING IN NEW YORK STATE. THE COMPLEX OF HIGHER EDUCATION, INCLUDING THE OVER 200 PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY CONTROLLED COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WHICH ARE CONSIDERED IN STATEWIDE LONG-RANGE PLANNING, IS DESCRIBED, FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION OF THE NEEDS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE GOALS THAT MUST GUIDE STATE PLANNING IF THESE NEEDS ARE TO BE MET. THE LONG-RANGE PLANS OF STATE UNIVERSITY AND CITY UNIVERSITY AND THE PLANS OF PRIVATELY CONTROLLED INSTITUTIONS ARE REVIEWED. A DISCUSSION OF FACTORS AFFECTING COSTS AND TRENDS IN EXPENDITURES AND INCOME CONCLUDES WITH AN ESTIMATE OF THE TOTAL COST EXPECTED BY 1970. THERE IS A SUMMARY AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE TOTAL PLAN. APPENDIXES ARE LISTS OF MEMBER INSTITUTIONS BY REGION AND COUNTY, REPORTS RELATING TO PLANNING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN NEW YORK STATE, SELECTED INFORMATION ON NEW YORK STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, BOARD OF REGENTS POLICY STATEMENT ON THE COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, RESIDENCE AND MIGRATION OF COLLEGE STUDENTS IN NEW YORK STATE (FALL 1963), AND SPECIAL STUDIES PROJECTED AS A BASIS FOR FUTURE PLANNING. THERE ARE 26 TABLES AND 12 FIGURES. (AJ)