First off, in the grand scheme of things, you're not really that far "behind," as many people choose to change careers later in life. My dad for example has worked in radio, in travel, and now he works in IT - and he still isn't sure he wants to stay there. For a more relevant example, a solid chunk of my class is made up of non-traditional students like yourself. It's not really uncommon. The TL;DR here is don't stress about some useless "timeline."
I wouldn't assume that just because you have summers off means that you would be less stressed. Many pharmacy students intern during school. Year-round employers will want you to work more hours in the summer, sometimes up to 40 hours per week, since you
don't have school. Don't discount the benefits of having an intern job either - many employers choose to hire new pharmacists from within. In other words, it will be easier to get a job after graduation if you have an internship during school. Don't assume your rotations/IPPEs/APPEs will suffice.
You say the tuition is roughly the same for both schools; I'll assume you're accounting for the length of each program (i.e. if both schools were $30k per year there would be a significant benefit to the 3 year program). Have you considered cost of living? If one school is in a major metropolitan area and the other is in BFE there will be a significant difference in COL that you may need to cover with savings or loans.
You mention the 4 year program is closer to home; what are the benefits for you in that? Is it cheaper? Do you like the area? Is it the familiarity? Do you like to be close to specific features that only your hometown/state has? Do you like living close to your friends and/or family? For example, a major reason I chose the school I did is because it meant I could live at home with my parents rent-free. My COL is close to zero which means I can focus on school instead of bills. If it's being close to family/friends, remember that there's always the option to travel home for breaks and holidays, as long as you factor that into the total cost of the 3 year program.
Now on the other hand, it sounds like the 3 year program is located in an area that is more like where you would want to live after graduation. I would consider this an important factor and weigh it heavily! It will be easier for you to get a job in a location you want if you are already familiar with the hiring managers in that area (again going back to getting an internship while in pharmacy school if possible). However, saturation is a problem in our industry. You may want to consider talking to a few pharmacists in that area, particularly recent grads if you can find them, and ask if they felt it was easy to get a job post-graduation in the area (both physical location and "retail vs. hospital," etc) that they wanted.
Finally, and this is my personal opinion, I think each school's NAPLEX pass rates, residency match rates, and on-time graduation rates should be important numbers to consider. This is another major reason I chose the school I did; it had a 10% higher NAPLEX pass rate than another school I applied to.
What matters most to me in picking a pharmacy school will be different than what matters most to you. That's why I've tried to avoid giving you a cut-and-dry answer. I think it's better for you to do some self-reflection and decide what is important to you. Regardless, I hope this was helpful and good luck in your career!
