Best is very dependent on your circumstances.
But, if I were 17, knowing what I know now, I would focus on getting a pilot certificate (Ideally PPL, but Sport pilot could work) before starting college.
After that, focus on aeronautical experience, in other words, you need to fly. Find a way to get in the air consistently, join a club, buy a plane (or partnership).
Then I would look for aviation schools that offer both an Associates (AS) and Bachelor (BS) that is endorsed by the FAA for R-ATP (
https://www.faa.gov/pilots/training/atp/media/Institutional_Authority_List.pdf), and I can pay in state tuition prices.
Enroll in the AS program, study hard and fly regularly, when I am approaching graduation look for a flying job with the AS and hours I have. If I get a job that will allow me to build more valuable time, faster than finishing the BS in Aviation take the job, if not continue to the BS in Aviation with the goal of having as close to 1000 hours logged on the day I graduate as possible.
If I take a job that allows me to build time quickly (ideally pipeline patrol, a 135 position, or something else that will fly more 500 hrs/year), transfer to an online program for a non-aviation Bachelor degree. Work on it part time, with the primary goal of building time to get the R-ATP and a 121 job, go to a 121 carrier as fast as possible (continue working on the degree), focus on logging 1000 hours of 121. As soon as I hit 1000 hours of 121 time, if I have not graduated with a Bachelor, I would bid the easiest schedule I can get and focus on finishing the degree.
In my opinion this would be the most effective way to get to the airlines quickly, but this plan is not cheap and for that reason may not be realistic for many (or even most) students. But there are some important things to consider regardless:
1) Get a PPL or Sport pilot before you spend a dime on an aviation college. It helps you to know what you are getting into, and gives you a step ahead to reduce the challenges that come with the college transition + college courses + flight training.
2) You need to fly outside of training. You can get 1500 hours faster than you can get a 4 year degree, and every regional is paying enough for you to pay out of pocket for college. You can work on your degree while instructing, flying 135 or at the regional airlines. If you cannot afford to attend an aviation college and continue to build time, it may be worth considering building time while attending a community college.
3) Think about how you are going to pay for it, loans are (in my opinion) the biggest selling point of non-college 141 programs and are still a major selling point of college Aviation programs. If you don't want to use the loans, it may be better to go another route.
4) There are good flying jobs that don't need a 4 year degree. If you don't choose an aviation degree, it may be worth while to focus on building the skills to qualify for those jobs as a separate priority from the degree.
