Beyond demonstrating the ability and diligence etc. to probably complete commercial pilot training successfully, a rigorous undergraduate degree should give prospective pilots logical thinking and problem solving skills that especially could be useful in an emergency, Moreover, the role of an airline pilot goes beyond flying the plane: they should be able to make short extemporaneous announcements that are grammatical and appropriate and otherwise represent the airline as required (thanking elites one-on-one, hosting kids' cockpit visits, etc.). A pilot represents the company when on duty and also when off duty and in uniform, including on hotel shuttles and lobbies, when passing through the airport, including in airport security lines, etc., and the airline would prefer that its pilots be well spoken; although this characteristic isn't perfectly correlated with having a university education, there is a correlation.

Many job ads say that a four year degree or equivalent experience is required, but interpretations can vary. In some cases, there can be a formula translating years of experience to substitute for formal educational credentials. For other employers and positions, it would be extremely rare to hire or even seriously consider someone without the almost-but-not-quite-required degree.