Khosro Ebrahimi - Department of Management, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
Hamid Reza Alipur Shirsavar - Department of Management, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran

The present study takes a clustering approach to categorize Rasht’s Islamic Azad University students based on two factors, namely the need for getting an academic degree and/or the interest in acquiring knowledge. The study population includes all the Islamic Azad University students from Rasht branch, out of whom a 120-indiviudal sample volume has been selected based on a non-probability convenience method. The proximity matrix and the agglomeration schedule along with tree graphical representation have been applied to analyze the extracted data following which the students were classified into various groups. The results indicated that the students can be grouped into three clusters and the highest number of the study sample volume belongs to the cluster the need for getting an academic degree that accounted for 80% of the study population.

Cluster analysis, Schooling at university, Islamic Azad University