California State University-Northridge vs. Design Institute of San Diego

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Northridge in Northridge, 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 Northridge is larger than Design Institute of San Diego based on total student enrollment (38,313 students vs. 94 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Northridge is located in Northridge, CA (Large City setting); Design Institute of San Diego is in San Diego, CA (Large City setting).
• California State University Northridge 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 Northridge 25:1; Design Institute of San Diego 8:1.

California State University-Northridge vs. Design Institute of San Diego Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Northridge 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 Northridge than Design Institute of San Diego ($7,536 vs. $44,010).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 37.5% lower than at Design Institute of San Diego ($13,804 vs. $22,086).
• Design Institute of San Diego is 292.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-Northridge (about $21,842 more per year; $29,300.00 vs. $7,458.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 46.1% higher at Design Institute of San Diego than at California State University Northridge (about $9,242 more per year; $29,300.00 vs. $20,058.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Design Institute of San Diego than at California State University Northridge (100% vs. 83%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 7.8% larger than aid received by Design Institute of San Diego students ($12,825 vs. $11,901).

California State University-Northridge vs. Design Institute of San Diego Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Northridge 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 California State University-Northridge.

• 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 Northridge 900/1110.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Northridge 16/22.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California State University-Northridge - Test-free; Design Institute of San Diego - Open admission.
• Typical fall application deadline: California State University-Northridge Nov 30, 2026.
• Design Institute of San Diego has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than California State University-Northridge (93.4%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 18% at California State University-Northridge vs. 28.6% at Design Institute of San Diego.

California State University-Northridge vs. Design Institute of San Diego Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for California State University-Northridge 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 Northridge's (46%).
• Graduates from California State University Northridge earn a median of about $8,600 more per year than Design Institute of San Diego graduates about ten years after starting college ($47,500 vs. $38,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Northridge graduates have a $26,389 lower median loan debt than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($14,196 vs. $40,585).
• Among borrowers, California State University-Northridge graduates have an estimated $273 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($146 vs. $419).
• More Design Institute of San Diego graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 59%)

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.