Within the past decade, undergraduate enrollment in agricultural programs has declined approximately 30% in the United States. This dramatic reduction has generated predictions that personnel shortages will occur in essential food and agricultural segments of the economy. However, undergraduate enrollment for poultry science in degree programs at all of the land-grant institutions has increased from 295 in 1983 to 334 in 1987, an increase of 13%. When one examines the overall enrollment trends at specific institutions, a highly variable picture emerges. For many institutions, their colleges of agriculture have maintained relatively stable enrollments, others have declined by approximately 40%, and still others have witnessed an explosive growth of 200% during the past 5 yr. A survey was conducted to evaluate the factors influencing the selection of a poultry science major by undergraduate students. Approximately 53% of the students surveyed were from farm, ranch, or rural backgrounds. Eighty percent of the students responding had some previous poultry experience, with 54% participating in 4H or FFA projects. The major factors influencing the selection of a poultry science major included: 1) poultry science faculty at the university: 2) influence of parents or family: 3) influence of friends; and 4) influence of high-school agricultural-technology teachers. Of the 43 respondents, surprisingly, none indicated that high-school guidance counselors had any positive influence in their selection of a major in poultry science.