rickair7777

If you want to be an airline pilot, and work for a stable company where you will be well-payed in the long run, you almost assuredly need the degree.

If you're OK with lower pay and QOL, and instability, then there are plenty of pilot jobs available in other sectors of aviation which don't require a degree. If you want to fly bush, ag, or fire-fighting an A&P would probably be more useful than a degree, those are quite different from airlines, but potentially rewarding in different ways (including good money).

It's *possible* with the pilot shortage some majors will hire without degrees, but it would be a sucker's bet to plan your career on that.

To put things in perspective, when you're interviewing at a top-tier major airline, your fellow candidates will be Colonels with masters degrees, thousands of hours of military flight time, and combat experience.

If you need the degree and have the GI Bill, the best option is almost certainly a four-year aviation university with a flight program and R-ATP eligibility. Try to find one that's cheap enough for GI Bill to cover so you avoid debt.

You'll probably need CFI-Airplane and CFI-Instrument certificates to allow you to build time working as an instructor. You'll need to get to 1000 hours if you graduate from an R-ATP eligible four-year program. You'll most likely be able to instruct at your university, even before you graduate.