195 students randomly chosen from the four courses that constitute the introductory hierarchy of physics courses at the University of Vermont were tested with selected Piagetian tasks. The results obtained from these tasks as well as SAT verbal and mathematics scores were correlated with level of course as well as with final course grade, used as a measure of achievement. Though 58% of the sample were rated at the level of concrete operations, the Piagetian level was found to be only weakly correlated with both level of course and with final course grade. SAT scores were used as controls with the mathematics score correlating highly, in general, with both course level and final grade, and the verbal score not correlating with either. Implications relative to recently proposed changes in curriculum are discussed.