Cal State LA vs. Design Institute of San Diego

Deciding between California State University Los Angeles and Design Institute of San Diego? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

California State University Los Angeles

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Cal State LA Los Angeles, CA
  • Design Institute of San Diego San Diego, CA
  • Setting
  • Cal State LA Large City
  • Design Institute of San Diego Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • Cal State LA 23,163
  • Design Institute of San Diego 94
  • Type
  • Cal State LA Public 4 Year
  • Design Institute of San Diego Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Cal State LA #934
  • Design Institute of San Diego
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Cal State LA -
  • Design Institute of San Diego -
  • Status
  • Cal State LA Non-profit
  • Design Institute of San Diego For-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Cal State LA
  • Design Institute of San Diego

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Cal State LA $7,160
  • Design Institute of San Diego $29,300
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Cal State LA $19,760
  • Design Institute of San Diego $29,300
  • Room & Board
  • Cal State LA $19,696
  • Design Institute of San Diego $22,086
  • Average Net Price
  • Cal State LA $4,460
  • Design Institute of San Diego $44,010
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Cal State LA $13,824
  • Design Institute of San Diego $11,901
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Cal State LA 94%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 100%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Cal State LA 32,723
  • Design Institute of San Diego 7
  • Admitted
  • Cal State LA 29,860
  • Design Institute of San Diego 7
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Cal State LA 91.3%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 100% Open
  • Enrolled
  • Cal State LA 9.4%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 28.6% Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • Cal State LA 970
  • Design Institute of San Diego
  • Typical ACT score
  • Cal State LA 17
  • Design Institute of San Diego
  • Average High School GPA
  • Cal State LA 3.31
  • Design Institute of San Diego -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Cal State LA B+
  • Design Institute of San Diego -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Cal State LA Extremely Easy
  • Design Institute of San Diego Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • Cal State LA
  • Design Institute of San Diego
  • ACT Range
  • Cal State LA 15/20
  • Design Institute of San Diego
  • SAT Range
  • Cal State LA 870/1060
  • Design Institute of San Diego
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Cal State LA Test-free
  • Design Institute of San Diego Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • Cal State LA Jan 19, 2027
  • Design Institute of San Diego

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Cal State LA 21:1
  • Design Institute of San Diego 8:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Cal State LA
    • Business (22%)
    • Health Professions (9%)
    • Social Sciences (9%)
    • Psychology (7%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
  • Design Institute of San Diego
    • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Cal State LA 36%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 62%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Cal State LA $46,900
  • Design Institute of San Diego $38,900
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Cal State LA 57%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 68%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Cal State LA $12,920
  • Design Institute of San Diego $40,585
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Cal State LA $133
  • Design Institute of San Diego $419

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Cal State LA 43%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 9%
  • % Women
  • Cal State LA 57%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 91%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Cal State LA Medium
  • Design Institute of San Diego High
  • HBCU
  • Cal State LA No
  • Design Institute of San Diego No
  • % White
  • Cal State LA 7%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 58%
  • % Asian
  • Cal State LA 15%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 9%
  • % Black
  • Cal State LA 4%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 7%
  • % Hispanic
  • Cal State LA 63%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 17%
  • % Native American
  • Cal State LA 0%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Cal State LA 0%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 1%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Cal State LA 2%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 0%
  • % International
  • Cal State LA 6%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 7%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Cal State LA 3%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Cal State LA 99%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 100%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Cal State LA 0%
  • Design Institute of San Diego 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Cal State LA Yes
  • Design Institute of San Diego No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Cal State LA No
  • Design Institute of San Diego No
  • Meal Plan
  • Cal State LA Yes
  • Design Institute of San Diego No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Cal State LA No
  • Design Institute of San Diego Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • Cal State LA Yes
  • Design Institute of San Diego No
  • Learn More
  • Cal State LA Details
  • Design Institute of San Diego Details

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Los Angeles in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles is larger than Design Institute of San Diego based on total student enrollment (23,163 students vs. 94 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • California State University Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, CA (Large City setting); Design Institute of San Diego is in San Diego, CA (Large City setting).
  • California State University Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles 21:1; Design Institute of San Diego 8:1.

Cal State LA vs. Design Institute of San Diego Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cal State LA 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 Los Angeles than Design Institute of San Diego ($4,460 vs. $44,010).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Los Angeles are 10.8% lower than at Design Institute of San Diego ($19,696 vs. $22,086).
  • Design Institute of San Diego is 309.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than Cal State LA (about $22,140 more per year; $29,300.00 vs. $7,160.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 48.3% higher at Design Institute of San Diego than at California State University Los Angeles (about $9,540 more per year; $29,300.00 vs. $19,760.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Design Institute of San Diego than at California State University Los Angeles (100% vs. 94%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Los Angeles students is 16.2% larger than aid received by Design Institute of San Diego students ($13,824 vs. $11,901).

Cal State LA vs. Design Institute of San Diego Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cal State LA 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 Cal State LA.

  • Design Institute of San Diego reports an open admissions policy.
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Los Angeles 870/1060.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Los Angeles 15/20.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Cal State LA - Test-free; Design Institute of San Diego - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Cal State LA Jan 19, 2027.
  • Design Institute of San Diego has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than Cal State LA (91.3%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 9.4% at Cal State LA vs. 28.6% at Design Institute of San Diego.

Cal State LA vs. Design Institute of San Diego Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Cal State LA 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 Los Angeles's (36%).
  • Graduates from California State University Los Angeles earn a median of about $8,000 more per year than Design Institute of San Diego graduates about ten years after starting college ($46,900 vs. $38,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Los Angeles graduates have a $27,665 lower median loan debt than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($12,920 vs. $40,585).
  • Among borrowers, Cal State LA graduates have an estimated $286 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($133 vs. $419).
  • More Design Institute of San Diego graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State LA students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 57%)

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.