This study investigated the developmental changes in self-education abilities by using retrospective questionnaire. Three different kinds of questionnaire were constructed so as to measure the students' self-education abilities in their college age, high school age and elementary school age. A total of 768 college students selected from 7 different colleges completed these three kinds of questionnaire, each of which was constructed of 7 subscales of self-education abilities: interest in learning subjects, self-directed thinking, skillfulness of learning method, self-monitoring, planning, independence, and self-actualization. Major findings were as follows: (1) female students show higher self-education abilities than male students, (2) age differences are related to subscales of self-education abilities, i,e., the ratings of some subscales are higher in college school age, the ratings of some subscales are higher in high school age, and the ratings of the other subscales are higher in elementary school age, and (3) college sample differences are small in elementary school age but become bigger in high school age and college age. Implications of these findings for the recent dispute on reforms in education were discussed.