The two major goals for all Americans presented in Healthy People 2010 were to: (1) increase the quality and years of healthy life, and (2) eliminate health disparities. Many college students throughout the United States engage in behaviors that place them at risk for serious health problems. One immediate concern is to investigate baseline data regarding the lifestyle choices and risk-taking behaviors of college students. This study was conducted to specifically investigate priority health risk behaviors of urban university students. Data were collected at a state-assisted, urban university in 1997, 2000, and 2004. Undergraduate students were randomly selected from required general education courses to participate in the study. Samples are representative of University population. A cross-sectional survey research design was selected for this project. The National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS) designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), containing 58 health-risk behavior questions and nine demographic items was utilized. Descriptive analysis was used to profile the socio-demographic variables. Data was tested by Chi square analysis, using the cross-tabulation method. SPSS statistical procedures were used to analyze the data. Data from the 1997 (n = 414), 2000 (n = 260), and 2004 (n = 315), NCHRBS were combined into a data set to examine trends in risk behaviors across time. Results were compared to state data, national data and data collected by other researchers from colleges and universities located in both rural and suburban settings related to the health-risk behaviors of college students. Trend analysis suggests that black students (both male and female) also may demonstrate greater rates of health risk behaviors than do white students. Urban universities have not always acknowledged health risk behaviors of their student populations because many of the problems occur off-campus. The results of this study suggest a need for universities to develop or improve health policies, programs, and services designed to reduce, regulate and manage risks associated with the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among college students. This research also can be used as a comparison for other urban and traditional institutions and to contribute to the empirical data currently being collected at a national level. Further research is needed to continue the examination of health risk behaviors within other nontraditional college settings, particularly urban institutions. Keyword(s): college level issues, research