Classroom

Which Programming Language Is Right for You? [#Infographic]

With interest in computer science growing, now is the time to brush up on coding skills. But where should you start?

D. Frank Smith

Google+ Twitter

Frank is a social media journalist for the CDW family of technology magazine websites.

Computer science is booming, with the industry is on track to create 1.4 million jobs by 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Those seeking their big break in the growing industry have a myriad of choices. But which programming language should they be studying?

A new infographic from web hosting review site WhoIsHostingThis breaks down the history, function and learning curve of 10 of the most popular programming languages, from PHP to AJAX. According to the graphic, the easiest language to learn is Python, the most powerful is C++ and the one most likely to remain relevant in a decade is Java.

And students are eager to learn. Chicago Public Schools is preparing to make computer science part of the school system’s core curriculum, introducing courses at area high schools over the next three years, and in kindergarten through eighth grade within five years.

Students are also looking beyond traditional means of education to become coding-savvy. Web startups such as One Month and Codecademy offer a series of online courses to orient students on a variety of programming languages.

In May, Codecademy announced that 24 million users had taken its free courses.

With so many options, which programming language is right for you?