JamesNoBrakes

Assuming two equal candidates, it could give you an edge, but for the cost of going to one of these schools, you could gain an edge elsewhere and do it cheaper. Hours, pilot in command time, type ratings, experience, and so on, these are what the airlines look at first. Rarely are two candidates ever equal. Everything else being equal, they'll take the guy with more experience. The requirement to have a degree is a box-checking item, there is no specific requirement. The "aviation schools" will try to convince you that you need to go to their school and you need to get through their program "as fast as possible" because "right now is the best time to get into aviation" and a "huge hiring spree" is forecast, but they always say that stuff, constantly. They just want you to come and spend money. Many of them do have good programs, but the problem is the cost and that program doesn't have any real tangible benefit. It's not like where you go and get an MD and then are on a path to earn doctor-money because of your required medical schooling. If there was some way to go right into a 737 as a first officer right out of college, there might be some benefit, but that's not how aviation works, it works on experience, and that experience that you get working up to that job in the 737 will be a lot more recent than a few college classes years ago, so it's hard to find a lot of benefit in it. If you have hundreds of thousands of dollars to burn and do not have to take out loans, what the heck, go for it. If not, that money is better used elsewhere, like for living on while you are getting experience flying.