This paper explores the relationship between self-esteem, measured five times during a span of eight years, and the educational and occupational attainments of a nationwide sample of over 1600 young men. An overall increase in self-esteem was observed between the start of 10th grade (1966) and a point five years after high school (1974). Surprisingly, 10th grade self-esteem correlated better with eventual educational attainment (as of 1974) than did 1974 self-esteem. Longitudinal multivariate analysis led to the conclusion that factors associated with educational success become less central to self-evaluations during high school and the following years. (Author)