CSUDH vs. Design Institute of San Diego

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA with Design Institute of San Diego in San Diego, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Dominguez Hills is larger than Design Institute of San Diego based on total student enrollment (15,182 students vs. 94 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, CA (Small City setting); Design Institute of San Diego is in San Diego, CA (Large City setting).
• California State University Dominguez Hills is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Design Institute of San Diego is a private, for-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Dominguez Hills 21:1; Design Institute of San Diego 8:1.

CSUDH vs. Design Institute of San Diego Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSUDH or Design Institute of San Diego? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Dominguez Hills than Design Institute of San Diego ($9,175 vs. $44,010).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Dominguez Hills are 16.5% lower than at Design Institute of San Diego ($18,444 vs. $22,086).
• Design Institute of San Diego is 293.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than CSUDH (about $21,851 more per year; $29,300.00 vs. $7,449.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 46.1% higher at Design Institute of San Diego than at California State University Dominguez Hills (about $9,251 more per year; $29,300.00 vs. $20,049.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Design Institute of San Diego than at California State University Dominguez Hills (100% vs. 93%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Dominguez Hills students is 17.2% larger than aid received by Design Institute of San Diego students ($13,951 vs. $11,901).

CSUDH vs. Design Institute of San Diego Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CSUDH or Design Institute of San Diego? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Design Institute of San Diego and CSUDH.

• Design Institute of San Diego reports an open admissions policy.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: CSUDH - Test-free; Design Institute of San Diego - Open admission.
• Typical fall application deadline: CSUDH Dec 4, 2026.
• Design Institute of San Diego has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than CSUDH (93.3%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 9.3% at CSUDH vs. 28.6% at Design Institute of San Diego.

CSUDH vs. Design Institute of San Diego Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CSUDH and Design Institute of San Diego? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Design Institute of San Diego's six-year graduation rate (62%) is higher than California State University Dominguez Hills's (24%).
• Graduates from California State University Dominguez Hills earn a median of about $7,900 more per year than Design Institute of San Diego graduates about ten years after starting college ($46,800 vs. $38,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Dominguez Hills graduates have a $26,623 lower median loan debt than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($13,962 vs. $40,585).
• Among borrowers, CSUDH graduates have an estimated $275 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($144 vs. $419).
• More Design Institute of San Diego graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CSUDH students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 52%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.