The general purpose of this study was to test the validity of selected hypotheses concerning institutional adaptation, using a segment of the general population, where the need and the opportunity for a specific program have been established. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to determine if selected operating ratios and institutional characteristics were predictors of whether or not Black colleges and universities had implemented professional allied health education programs. Several authors have hypothesized that certain factors (which could be specified as operating ratios and institutional characteristics) affected an institution's ability and willingness to adapt. However, the power of these factors had not been tested rigorously. Sixty-eight four-year Black colleges and universities, which had not implemented professional allied health programs prior to 1975-76, were used for this study. By 1980, six of these institutions had implemented such programs. Twenty-seven operating ratios and seven institutional characteristics, derived from REGIS Financial Statistics and Opening Fall Enrollment data, for the 1975-76 academic year, were used in the study. Four analytical procedures were chosen to test the hypotheses that these ratios and characteristics were direct or surrogate measures of institutional adaptation. The following analytical procedures were used: (a) cross-tabulation, (b) t-tests for independence, (c) stepwise discriminant analysis, and (d) cluster analysis. The findings and inferences that could be drawn from the study were limited because of the recency of HEGIS tapes used. This resulted in a small sample population. Six of the 68 institutions had implemented professional allied health programs between 1975-76 and 1979-80. In addition, several colleges and universities appear to be in the process of implementing professional allied health education programs, but had not done so as of 1979-80. Despite these limitations, the findings of the study indicated that a total of ten operating ratios were identified as possible predictors of whether or not Black colleges and universities had implemented professional allied health education programs between 1975-76 and 1979-80. / Ed. D.