Poly(glycidyl methacrylate) [poly(GMA)] microspheres of narrow size distribution were prepared in a simple one-step procedure by dispersion radical polymerization. Depending on the solvent used, poly(GMA) particle size could be controlled in the range of 0.5-4 mu m by changing the solubility parameter of the reaction mixture. In N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF)/methanol mixture, the particle size increased and the size distribution broadened with decreasing initial solubility parameter. While in the DMF/methanol solvent system, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) or cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) were taken as steric stabilizers of the dispersion polymerization, poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) was used in alcoholic media. Contrary to the DMF/methanol system, narrow particle size distributions were obtained with PVP-stabilized polymerizations in ethanolic, methanolic, propan-1-olic or butan-1-olic medium. Both the particle size and polydispersity were reduced with increasing stabilizer concentration. If lower molecular-weight PVP was used, larger microspheres were obtained. Poly(GMA) samples prepared in a neat alcoholic medium virtually quantitatively retained oxirane group content after the polymerization. Reactivity of the poly(GMA) microspheres was confirmed by their hydrolysis and aminolysis.