It grants no advantages to a job seeker in any field, including its own.
For reduced mins at Horizon they specify that the applicant must have a B.S. aviation degree. I'm sure that the other airlines that reduce their mins would also expect you to have an aviation degree.
Any other degree, which could cost about a quarter as much. You claim cost isn't a valid argument due to the inherent pricelessness of any investment in education, (incidentally, right after questioning the investment required for a graduate degree), but when there are alternatives of lower cost and equal effectiveness, cost becomes a major consideration.
Unfortunately, the big-name aviation degrees cost three to four times as much as a typical liberal arts degree at a state college, with no inherent advantages over any of those in any industry, including their own, to justify that cost.
Tuition is the same for aviation majors as it is for any other major. The flight expenses are separate, but your going to have to pay for the ratings at some point anyway. I can't speak for the other aviation schools, but UND's flight expenses are on the high end of the average. You get what you pay for.
I would not advise anyone to get an aviaton degree, but someone has got to keep you honest. An aviation degree has worked out fine for many and not so well for some. It's important to think about what you would do if tomarrow you couldn't ever fly again. Have a back up plan is the main thing.