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Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, this dissertation compared the transition outcomes of foster and non-foster care youth. Youth were matched using propensity score methodology, which models the likelihood to be in foster care based on a set of pre-existing characteristics, and traditional matching methods based on demographic characteristics (i.e., gender, race, age, parent's education, income, and having a stepparent). Bivariate and multivariate analysis revealed that foster youth fared worse than unmatched youth in all transition domains. However, outcomes were similar for foster youth and youth matched using propensity scoring in all domains except housing. This suggests that the pre-existing characteristics that put youth at risk for foster care may contribute to their difficulties in emerging adulthood rather than the experience of foster care itself. Findings using the traditionally matched samples showed some group differences suggesting that a larger set of attributes than those matched on contribute to foster youth difficulties. Analyses examining interaction effects between foster care and characteristics associated with negative transition outcomes did not identify any particularly vulnerable subgroups of foster youth. These findings are a substantive departure from past research, which suggested that foster youth were falling behind youth in the general population and comparison youth. Findings from this dissertation are used to provide policy and practice recommendations for foster youth and other vulnerable youth.