<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 06/30/97
000 C000000 0000814573
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 NRINCIPAL EMERGING GROWTH FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-05170
001 C000000 5152475476
002 A000000 THE PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP
002 B000000 DES MOINES
002 C000000 IA
002 D010000 50392
002 D020000 0200
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
020 A000001 JONES & ASSOCIATES INC.
020 B000001 95-3583143
020 C000001 4
020 A000002 INVESTMENT TECHNOLOGY GROUP
020 B000002 95-4339369
020 C000002 3
020 A000003 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES, INC.
020 B000003 22-2347336
020 C000003 3
020 A000004 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE (DLJ)
020 B000004 13-2741729
020 C000004 3
020 A000005 BUCKINGHAM RESEARCH GROUP
020 B000005 13-3134008
020 C000005 3
020 A000006 UBS SECURITIES LLC
020 B000006 13-2932996
020 C000006 2
020 A000007 INSTINET CO.
020 B000007 13-2596491
020 C000007 2
020 A000008 BERNSTEIN, SANFORD C.
020 B000008 13-2625074
020 C000008 1
020 A000009 OPPENHEIMER & CO.
020 B000009 13-2798343
020 C000009 1
020 A000010 BEAR STEARNS & CO.
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 B000010 13-3299429
020 C000010 1
021 000000 26
022 A000001 ASSOCIATES CORPORATION OF NORTH AMERICA
022 B000001 74-1494554
022 C000001 761663
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 FORD MOTOR CREDIT CO.
022 B000002 38-1612444
022 C000002 63459
022 D000002 0
022 A000003 AMERICAN EXPRESS CREDIT CORPORATION
022 B000003 11-1988350
022 C000003 47317
022 D000003 0
022 A000004 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.
022 B000004 42-1192999
022 C000004 30195
022 D000004 0
022 A000005 GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORP.
022 B000005 13-1500700
022 C000005 24528
022 D000005 0
022 A000006 MERRILL LYNCH MONEY MARKET SECURITIES
022 B000006 13-2761776
022 C000006 23254
022 D000006 0
022 A000007 CHEVRON OIL FINANCE CO.
022 B000007 25-1215010
022 C000007 12246
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 BENEFICIAL CORP.
022 B000008 51-0003820
022 C000008 9654
022 D000008 0
022 A000009 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000009 13-2501865
022 C000009 7470
022 D000009 0
022 A000010 AMERICAN GENERAL FINANCE CORP.
022 B000010 35-0416090
022 C000010 7394
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 1025186
023 D000000 429
027 000000 Y
028 A010000 4471
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 186
028 B010000 4803
<PAGE> PAGE 3
028 B020000 452
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 30
028 C010000 4183
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 142
028 D010000 4076
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 912
028 E010000 4518
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 1084
028 F010000 5005
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 919
028 G010000 27056
028 G020000 452
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 3273
028 H000000 0
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 N
057 000000 N
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
066 A000000 Y
066 B000000 N
066 C000000 N
066 D000000 Y
066 E000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 4
066 F000000 N
066 G000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
071 A000000 25936
071 B000000 7082
071 C000000 130471
071 D000000 5
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 761
072 C000000 533
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 481
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 0
072 J000000 4
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 0
072 M000000 4
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 0
072 S000000 0
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 3
072 X000000 492
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 802
072AA000000 1806
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 16523
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 0
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 455
073 A010000 0.0000
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0954
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 28
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 22657
074 D000000 2005
<PAGE> PAGE 5
074 E000000 269
074 F000000 154956
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 250
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 180165
074 O000000 0
074 P000000 0
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 93
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 180072
074 U010000 5404
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 33.32
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 7
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 154567
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 N
SIGNATURE A. S. FILEAN
TITLE V. PRES. & SECRETARY
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 135,533,823
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 179,886,922
<RECEIVABLES> 250,350
<ASSETS-OTHER> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 27,656
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 180,164,928
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 93,114
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 93,114
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 133,097,146
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 5,403,552
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 4,611,789
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 815,094
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 1,806,475
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 44,353,099
<NET-ASSETS> 180,071,814
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 532,462
<INTEREST-INCOME> 761,317
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (491,703)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 802,076
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 1,806,428
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 16,523,182
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 19,131,686
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> (455,301)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 883,025
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (106,190)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 14,928
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 42,910,933
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 13,018
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 455,348
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 481,083
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 491,703
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 154,502,884
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 29.74
<PER-SHARE-NII> .15
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 3.53
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> (.10)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 33.32
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .65
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
