Johnny,
ATPL exams are not a degree. They involve more intense work, but are not as academically demanding. To put it another way, anyone can pass the ATPL exams if they work hard enough, regardless of intelligence - whereas anyone with very high intelligence can pass a degree course without having to work all that hard. It's not possible to compare the two in the way you are doing.
However, there are people out there who agree with you, and some of them have, I think, created degree courses which incorporate flying. I don't know any details, but the names of Cranfield and London Guildhall immediately spring to mind. Hopefully someone out there will know more than me. But going to university and coming out with a degree and a frozen ATPL would be a perfect solution.
Hope that cools the rant down a little!
FFF
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