A sociological study of Tehran university students' attitudes towards academic degrees

Nowadays, acquiring educational degrees has a significant impact on various aspects of individuals' lives. Young people face tough competition to obtain an academic degree. This research aims to investigate whether students perceive educational attainment as a factor in improving and enhancing different dimensions of their lives, and whether they consider it influential on their economic, social, family, and personal growth. This study was conducted using a cross-sectional and quantitative approach, utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire among a sample of 559 male and female students from 12 universities in Tehran. After collecting the data, the questionnaire was analyzed using SPSS software. To examine the relationship between gender, marital status, university, and field of study as independent variables, and students' attitudes toward the impact of attainment of degrees as the dependent variable, the findings indicate that although there is no significant relationship between gender and students' perception of educational attainment which is gender-neutral, married students consider the degree more influential in improving their economic, social, family, and personal dimensions. The results of the ANOVA test also showed differences between students' attitudes in different universities regarding the potential of educational attainment to help them find well-paid suitable jobs. Additionally, the influence of educational attainment on social abilities, social acceptance, and social class enhancement was evaluated differently. Students in humanities fields had a different assessment regarding the impact of the degree on enhancing their life dimensions. Students believe that self-confidence, self-satisfaction, independence, better marriage, improved family and spouse relationships, and parental satisfaction are among the variables that can be achieved through educational attainment. The results indicate that students' attitudes toward educational attainment are influenced by various factors, and these relationships can vary based on marital status, university, and the field of study.