Despite an arduous effort to cope with modern Puerto Rico's societal needs, Puerto Rican junior colleges' educational offerings are inadequate and often irrelevant. The complexity and peculiarities of the junior college system in Puerto Rico cannot be fully grasped within the existing models for educational research designed for the educational realities of the United States. Relevant comparable data pertaining to the past five years were here gathered and arranged within a new instrument that allows for a comprehensive analytical view of the academic and administrative panorama of junior college education in Puerto Rico. A general overview of the historical trajectory, educational offerings, present needs, and common problems is presented. Data were gathered through a series of questionnaires and by field interviews conducted with administrative and academic personnel. On the basis of the information gathered and analyzed, common problems seem to include the following: high cost of tuition; inadequacy of financial aid, physical facilities, and faculty and administrative development; paucity of vocational offerings; outdated teaching methodology; fierce competition instead of collaboration among institutions. Preliminary recommendations are made, pending a future study. (NHM)