To qualify the answer to this question, I have a Masters in Computer Science.The most common languages at a university level would be Java and Python. Java is a popular choice because it is used in business, has all free tools to work with, and is feature-rich enough that any computer science concept can be expressed in Java. Python is also used a lot because although it is not as flexible and as general-purpose as Java, it is much easier to learn and work with, so in the cases where you don't need the flexibility offered by Java, Python is probably preferable in an academic setting.
At Carnegie Mellon, our (new) core curriculum includes:Python — Python is used in our introductory course. Most CS majors test out of this though."C0" (C-not) — The school developed a variant/subset of C that lets programmers use the design by contract programming methodology and throws out memory management. Most CS majors use this in their first course (others in their second), which is a thorough introduction to algorithms and data structures (ranging from basic search algorithms to dynamic programming and graph algorithms).C and Assembly — The above course covers C in the last few weeks. Then, another course, Introduction to Computer System, covers C much more thoroughly, as well as Assembly. More C and Assembly are covered in a required Systems Skills course: Operating System Design and Implementation, Distributed Systems, or Computer Networks. The first of these is notorious for requiring something like 40 hours a week of work for the whole semester.Standard ML — Another introductory course on functional programming and parallel algorithms and data structures uses Standard ML. Then there's a more advanced course on this same material (this one's being offered for the first time this fall).LaTeX — Really just a typesetting language, but technically it's a programming language. We write an incredible number of proofs.All of the above languages except C0 are also used in various other courses.Other languages used in various courses include:Java — "software engineering" classes and, embarrassingly, Web ApplicationsMatlab — Computer VisionMathematica — Computational Discrete Mathematics, Modern Computer AlgebraNyquist — Computer MusicDyna, Perl — Natural Language ProcessingProlog — Constructive LogicScala, Haskell — Options for Compiler DesignEdit 2: 15-251, Great Theoretical Ideas in Computer Science, had assignments that we were allowed to complete in any of Standard ML, Java, C++, or Python.
I graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in computer science back in 2002. I didn't have any problems finding a job after graduation and that was right after the dot-com crash. Plus, I was a Georgia resident and I was able to get the HOPE scholarship for four years, so I never had to pay for tuition. Therefore, when I graduated I had zero student loan debt. I can't comment on those other programs, since I don't know anyone who has been through the CS programs at those schools. When I was at Tech, the first programming course was in Java, but I've heard that they've moved to Scheme for some of their introductory computing courses. From what I've heard about the other computing programs in my area, most are focused on teaching a language, whereas the courses that I took at Tech were more focused on theory and algorithms. Most professors at Tech expected us to learn programming languages on our own and not in the classroom.
Georgia State University is locally known as “Last Chance U”. It seems to be the red haired step child among the State’s 3 research universities (Georgia Tech and University of Georgia being the “older brothers”. ) It sits pretty much dead center in the Atlanta metro area, the 11th largest such area in the US. For many years, it was a pure commuter school, until they repurposed Olympic housing from the ’96 games for dorms. With all the above factors, combined with what is essentially open admissions, the school draws a huge number of Adult Education students, and the average student age is 27. Degree seekers who were not interested in college, or flunked out, in their early 20’s can attend night classes and get their degrees. This is what I did.The school was founded as a night school for Georgia Tech, so that their alum and others could study business. The College of Business has some local renown. The graduate school of Management Information Systems is nationally ranked.The campus is all high rises, parking decks, and concrete. Hence, an Urban University. Most of the action is on the plaza, one floor above street level. This helps to keep the street people at bay, who tend to prey on the student body otherwise. There is really no school spirit, because we suck in sports. But for the record, I always enjoyed my professors.
The professors are some of the best in the world. They’re smart, they know industry, and they’re there to teach you everything they know.A ludicrous amount of industry exposure. Georgia Tech (especially the CS program) goes well out of its way to expose every single student to industry as early as possible, with information sessions, career fairs, daily company booths, tech talks, hackathons, capstone projects (which are required), so on and so forth.Threads. Georgia Tech’s CS program is something of a Lego degree — you build it yourself, but there is an overall guideline of requirements. You choose two of eight threads, and you can pick out classes that fill the requirements (past the general core and the CS core classes, of course), which allows you to focus your degree on what you want. You can change your threads at literally any time. These range from People (HCI, Psychology of Computing), to Systems and Architecture (Processors, Compilers, Operating Systems) to Devices (Robotics, Embedded Systems) to Theory.It’s a very reputable program, placing very high in the rankings, if that matters to you.Lots of opportunities for research in any field.Various clubs and organizations within the College of Computing alone, letting you pursue whatever passion you might have.GT actively encourages internships and co-ops, and has a lot of industry connections it will leverage to get you a job. The employment rate out of GT is very high.Classes are taught in modern, industry applicable languages. Classes also give a lot of large projects, great for a resume.Georgia Tech has various startup incubators at all levels, and a number of startup competitions and funds as well.Atlanta is a really fun city with so much to do (and it’s cheap to boot!).
Short answer - No,Longer answer -I started computer sci a little older tan most (23/24) , but I understand that its not the exact same thing because I’m still in the “ok to start again” age bracket. But its still 27 by the time I was employed as a full time software engineer a good 5 years older than most and in a very different life stage. so if you want to do it great but ill share what you may find worth being prepared for.Passion in it is essential, if you want to do it (like so many seem to think) because its an easy life… dont bother! its a tough and competitive career, if status or money is your goal here, just dont. that is across the board regardless of age.Prepare for a lot of people a lot younger than you being a lot better.A lot of people will have less patience for you than younger people starting.People will assume you know a lot more than you do at first glanceYour past experience dealing with people is useful but not worth much until you have proven yourself technically ( which wont happen fast)energy, this may only be me but by the time I’m done with work I’m exhausted in a way I wouldn't have been in my early 20′s. your required to keep up to date and do extra study in addition to your work especially in the early career, for a lot of those just out of collage they an do everything. A lot of them still live at home and dont have other things they have to do (plus they dont seem to get tired). You will have all your prior commitments to do after work, a wife maybe kids, housework, cooking, whatever and on top of that study. it will require support and wont be easy.That being said I have a 35 year old who started with us at work this year a 37 year old that started at the same time as me and a 57 year old who started a few months ago, as long as your willing to put the work in its not unusual at all, and most managers will want to move you up the ladder faster.So go for it I say :) but dont think for a minute its easy street. Check your motivation though, you wont be paid huge money unless your a genius and even then its unlikely I believe starting wage in the us is around 60k over here in Ireland its 30k , you can get less effort, lower skill jobs that will pay you as much if your idea is o have a shorter career. its likely you would be in your 50s before you catch up to many other careers pay wise.