Opportunity Programs such as Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP) have been institutionalized for over forty years. Emerging out of the Civil Rights movement, EOP and similar programs have helped to compensate economically and academically disadvantaged students to not only gain admission to colleges and universities by providing them with a leg up, but to also academically and financially support them through college completion. In New York, for example, it has been reported that over 100,000 students have been served since the statutory adoption of HEOP, one of four Opportunity programs founded in the late 1960's. Despite the numbers served, only one third to one half of enrolled students have completed their college degree. In an era of accountability this doesn't bode well, especially in light of New York's $1.2 billion budgetary gap. Thus, to inform public policy of the impact of Educational Opportunity Programs, a more systematic examination of program effectiveness is essential. Through a comprehensive review of empirical literature, this thesis utilizes Astin's Input, Environment, and Output conceptual model for assessment (1993) to identify individual student factors (Input) and programmatic factors (Environment) that contribute to EOP effectiveness (Output). While the EOP literature left much to be explored, the thesis was supplemented with studies from both college access and college student retention. Together, they provided a comprehensive perspective on the challenges and opportunities EOP students encounter on their way to and while enrolled in college that affects their college outcome.