My contribution to this thread is that its better to gain a degree in something you enjoy firstly and secondly something that isn't directly connected to aviation. For instance taking a degree in Maths or natural sciences rather than something quite narrow like aeronautical engineering.
This way if a major downturn occurs within the aviation market and you lose your job as a pilot, you would also be very unlikely to walk into any aviation related job- be it avionics or airline management. Downturns tend to affect the whole aviation industry- from pilots, engineers to cleaners.