How can an ATPL possibly be equivalent to a degree? Ludicrously pretentious idea!
ATPL. 1 year. Degree 3 years.
ATPL is (a great deal of) rote learning but not to such a high intellectual standard as GCSE. Not even more than a most basic knowledge of Trig needed. NO original thought or thesis appropriate, let alone required. Degree requires several GCSEs to commence it and involves significant amounts of original thought and logical argument.
Chalk and cheese.
As for PPL Met being equivalent to GCSE Climate and Weather (OK, I admit I've never seen the coursework) but I can't believe anyone could pass that after 2 days study, which is all PPL Met takes.
What's this fetish for degrees anyway? Many of the stupidest people I ever knew had two or more degrees. The RAF stopped requiring them for a while in the '70s whan the chop rate increased to an unacceptable level. I, with hundreds of others, joined the RN as a helo pilot on a minimum reguirement of 5 "O" Levels. Go figure. Pilots are doers, not thinkers.