This descriptive comparative study was conducted to compare the relationships among self-esteem, self-efficacy, perceived health status and the performance of health promoting lifestyles for nursing and non-nursing students. The sample consisted of 246 nursing students and 166 non-nursing students at an evening class of junior college in T city. The data was collected by a self reporting questionnaire from March 2 to March 17, 1997 and analyzed by SPSS Win. 7.0 program for frequency, mean, percentage, t -test, ANOVA, and a Pearson correlation coefficient. The results of this study are summarized as follows: 1. The results of the comparison between the two groups was not significantly different for self esteem and perceived health status, but significantly different for self-efficacy. Nursing students had higher scores on self -efficacy than non-nursing students(t=4.621. p<.05). 2. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups concerning a health promoting lifestyle. Nursing students ($157.73{pm}20.26$) had higher scores on total health promotion as well as its 8 subscales than non -nursing students ($048.15{pm}21.51$,), (t=21.074, p<.001). On subscales, nursing students had the highest score in sanitary life(3.22) and the lowest score in professional health maintenance(1.54). Non -nursing students had the highest score in harmonious relationships(3.10) and the lowest score in professional health maintenance (1.48). 3. Performance in a health promoting lifestyle was significantly correlated with such demographic variables as age and grade for nursing students, and types of dwelling for non -nursing students. 4. Perceptions of good health have been positively correlated with health promoting lifestyles. Those persons who rated their health as good showed the highest score, followed by excellent ,average, poor in that order. 5. Performance in health promoting lifestyles was significantly correlated with self-esteem, self-efficacy and, perceived health status. The most important factor that affect performance in health promoting lifestyles was self -efficacy.