Background characteristics of agriculture students at Western Kentucky University (WKU), the factors affecting their choice of careers, their goals and expectations, and certain agriculture related attitudes were examined in 1978 in a survey of 150 randomly selected agriculture students at that university. Similarities and differences with their counterparts at the 1862 land grant universities in the South were also determined. In racial composition and citizenship, WKU students were very similar to students in land grant schools, but the proportion of female students and married students was slightly lower. Western Kentucky students were far more rural with 57 percent claiming country residence. Twenty-nine percent expected to earn a master's degree and 77 percent of these hoped to do graduate work in agriculture. Major sources of financial support by WKU students were their own savings, parents' savings, summer jobs, and part time work. Tabular data in this document summarize the responses of both groups to questions dealing with general background characteristics, high school and work experiences, people and factors deemed important in choice of agriculture as a major, financial support and educational aspirations and expectations. Tables also show occupational and income expectations, attitudes on women's rights and ecological issues, and perceptions about the field of agriculture and agriculture students. (DS)