So in the end, you will need to earn your flight certificates despite what type of college plan you choose to pursue correct? So, if you go to the FBO and fly and get a degree in say...art history, you are essentially destined to be the curator of a museum or an art teacher (if flying fails) and you're still trying to figure how you're going to pay off the loans for flying (ps...how do you get the loans for flying also? i'm not familiar w/ that, as student loans will cover flight expenses at the university...then you've also gotta compare the insterest rates you'll be paying on your flying at the FBO compared to the normally "lower" interest rates of the student loans) The basic end is you're going to be spending the money on the flying anyway, maybe saving a dollar or two w/ the FBO route.
When you're finished w/ ur degree in an unrelated field and have all your ratings you're probably equally as qualified as any other pilot candidate who applies to say...the regional world. You don't have quite enough time to get on w/ them...yet....and you have a degree under your belt. So, you've gotta be poor and build that time, so you'll probably end up CFIng like eveyrone else right? So what's the real difference, other than the aviation universities (or universities w/ aviation programs) may have a bridge program to get you that interview in less time, so you can start paying off those student loans.
If it was up to me, i'd just say...go to college and major in something that you're going to enjoy. there are probably some people out there that'll tell you to major in pharmacuticals (sp?) becuase they pay great $$, which is true. But what about the guy who majored in that and now is thinking of a different career field becuase he hates his job? If you think a business degree is better than an aviation degree, more power to you, you'll blend in with the masses of other individuals w/ business degrees and find that you NEED to go to grad school to TRY to make yourself stand out. If not, every resume' looks exactly the same.
If i could do it again, i probably wouldn't change much. I'm not disappointed in my education (Central Missouri State University). Got to have the college experience, flying experience, and take all those stupid Gen-Ed's that everyone takes. Just because you have to get 120 credit hours, doesn't mean you're not going to suffer through calc, physics, chem, anthropology, composition, literature, history, art, etc. during your 4 years of academic experience. And when all is combined together w/ your aviation degree, you'll be just as well rounded as the next individual.
Ps, most employers like to see experience in an area...a degree basically shows them that you can put up with enough B.S. for four years, graduate, and probably learn something in your new field...which, is worthwhile when they're preparing to make an investment on you. Normally, if you can find a way to get the experience, they could care sh*t less what your degree is actually in.