med_is,
If you want fly in the U.S., working for a bachelor's degree would give you an advantage. There are many colleges in the U.S. which offer a bachelor's degree with private, commercial, instrument, ME, and instructor certificates. Take a look at Embry-Riddle in FL and AZ. It's a very reputable school in the aviation industry, but it's expensive. There are more affordable schools offering a similar degree such as University of North Dakota, Eastern Michigan University, Minnesota State University, and Indiana State University. If I'm not mistaken, Indiana State and North Dakota have agreements with some companies to offer internships to you. Upon graduation from all these schools, you can get around 250 hours TT, but a lot of the schools offer an instructor position to graduating students, so there's a potential for more hour building. While you're at it, take a look at ATP (
ATP Flight School: Airline Pilot Training & Pilot Career Development). They offer an online bachelor's at Mountain State University.
But, don't limit yourself to the U.S. There are some schools in Canada such as Secenca College and Mount Allison University. Mount Allison University offers flight training at Moncton Flight College which is a reputable school not only in North America but also across the world. It's been training pilots since the early 20th century. They have alumni working in major airlines such as Emirates. There are a lot of alumni from Moncton Flight College on this forum, and you can find threads about it. You can graduate with a ATPL (frozen). If you DON'T want a 4-year bachelor's degree, they also have a number of certificate program, also offering a frozen ATPL w/ a King Air rating.
The benefit of attending a school in Canada is that you can get a work permit upon graduation. A few years later, you can become a permanent resident and eventually a Canadian citizenship if you would like.
Good luck with your choices!
All the best!