Popular programming languages taught in colleges?

Hi folks! I've been learning coding on my own for a while now and I'm interested in a computer science major in college. However, I'm curious about what the most commonly taught programming languages are in college CS courses. Can anyone shed some light?

Hello! In most colleges that offer a Computer Science (CS) major, the curriculum often starts with foundational classes in Python or Java, two languages that are powerful yet friendly to beginners.

Python is increasingly favored for its simplicity and readability, making it a preferred choice for introductory programming courses. It's also the dominant language in the growing fields of data science and machine learning. Python courses usually cover basics like syntax, data structures, and control flow.

Then there's Java, another popular choice due to its object-oriented structure that's helpful in teaching students about abstraction and modularity in programming. It's widely used in enterprise and mobile (Android) development, so it's a valuable skill set if one is interested in these areas.

In higher-level courses, you might encounter languages like C or C++. These are lower-level compared to Java or Python, which means they give you more control over the computer hardware but can be more complex and error-prone. They are typically taught in systems or architecture-themed courses.

Other languages you might learn as part of your CS studies could include SQL for database management, JavaScript for web development, and R for statistic analysis. But remember that learning Computer Science isn't just about learning programming languages. It's also about computational thinking, problem-solving, and understanding data structures, algorithms, and computer systems.

This list is definitely not exhaustive and can vary by college. Understanding multiple languages and paradigms will make you a versatile programmer and expand your career opportunities. Happy coding!