You are married I would not say much otherwise

I could never understand why you only target at phd, then lower to masters.
my best friend who got her phd from top university and she works as a professor for psychology department. I make way more than she does with a ms degree and my boss had a BS degree and of course he makes more than I do. Most people can get a decent job with bachelor degree in the states. It is nothing like china. Since they started working and make good money,most of them would not go back to school and get another degree. But yes, we are more materialistic.