As we have seen in earlier chapters, the American definition of success is largely one of acquiring wealth and a high material standard of living. It is not surprising, therefore,that Americans have valued education for its monetary value. The belief is widespread in the United States that the more schooling people have, the more money they will earn when they leave school. The belief is strongest regarding the desirability of an undergraduate university degree, or a professional degree such as medicine or lew following the undergraduate degree. The money value of graduate degree in "nonprofessional" fields such as art, history, or philosophy is not as great