This article discusses whether social success is the ultimate goal of higher education from a cross cultural approach. To review this study logically, three research questions are addressed. First, what are the concepts of success and social success? Second, for whom and what is social success? Last, is social success indeed the ultimate goal in higher education? The research questions will be defended through a descriptive analysis, with a cross cultural approach. As for the limitations of the article, social success is focused on the lenses of the Eastern and the Western perspectives in conventional higher education, especially Canada and Korea. The Eastern aspect will be limited to Confucianism and Taoism, and the Western aspect will be focused on hedonism and mammonism on the basis of the ancient Greek philosophy and Christianity. The significance of this article is to provide valuable resources and useful information for global education theorists and practitioners regarding the ultimate goal in higher education and social success.