Abstract The history of interest measurement has occurred principally within vocational psychology. Beginning with E.K. Strong Jr. and G.F. Kuder it is possible to abstract thematic qualities from interest measurement which endure in Holland's (1985) theory of vocational choice. The relations between educational and vocational interests are frequently assumed but rarely investigated. Research, however, does suggest that measured educational and vocational preferences contain similar interest themes. The relations between preferences and choices are complicated by the constraints on possibilities which actual choices entail. In spite of this the evidence indicates that there are longitudinal relations between vocational preferences and educational choices consistent with their shared thematic qualities. These findings suggest that interest themes are important for explaining educational choices in addition to vocational preferences.