A system and method for classifying user context in a customer self service system that performs resource search and selection and includes a context attribute database comprising types of user contexts and one or more context attributes associated with each user context for processing by the system, and context attribute function database comprising functions for computing values for each context attribute. The classifying system comprises a computing device for receiving a user query and a context vector comprising data associating an interaction state with the user and, processing the query and context vector against data included in the context attribute database and context attribute function database for predicting a particular user context. The classifier populates the user context vector with context parameters specifying a user interaction state for use in a subsequent resource search. The result of this invention is an ability to relieve the user of the nonproductive work of describing their context and the ability to improve the search value by including criteria derived from both data and behaviors in the general population which may be unknown to the user. The system and method is especially applicable for a self service system in a variety of customer self service domains including education, real estate and travel.