There is also the fact that the value of the degree has been diluted, along with the quality of the education in order to have it accessible to everyone. The lower level 100-200 courses have been made so simplistic, it's pathetic, all so you can get these students hooked on some debt. Check out the drop out rate after these courses are completed, it's somewhere near 45%.

I'm not following how it's cheaper to get a bachelor's degree in other than aviation and separately fly enough to become competitive for a commercial flying career.

As I do some back of the envelope math, in-state tuition at, say, University of North Dakota or University of Oklahoma is about $10k (maybe even a little less). If one were to take an aviation degree at one of those schools and add on all of the flight options available, that would add on $55-$60k over four years (according to their Web sites). So total, all-in, for a 4-year aviation degree from UND or OU, including all the flying certifications they offer (and attendant hours), totals $100k, not including room and board, which is a constant anywhere. Plus, one might have the possibility at one of those schools to participate in AFROTC, maybe get a scholarship, etc.

So with that said, is there a more cost-efficient path to obtianing a bachelor's degree and enough flying hours/certifications to be marketable for a professional flying job than what I just described?

Yes, it’s the school that begins with “United States”.

GF

Yes, that was understood. Other than that?

An engineer isn't at risk every few months of losing his privileges with regular inspections and tests and checkrides, nor does the engineer need a medical, nor is the engineering field cyclic in that massive furloughs and layoffs occur throughout the industry every 5-10 years, nor will the engineer lose his job if he is in a car wreck or develops diabetes or if his eyesight diminishes. He doesn't even require a drug test on a random, frequent basis.

The pilot is much more in need of a backup skill or plan than the engineer.

A degree in aviation is pointless whether it's for an engineer, or a pilot.

The engineer, however, requires the degree in engineering to do his job. The degree for the pilot won't teach him a thing about his job, particularly an aviation degree.