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

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University San Bernardino in San Bernardino, 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 San Bernardino is larger than Design Institute of San Diego based on total student enrollment (18,492 students vs. 94 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, CA (Midsize City setting); Design Institute of San Diego is in San Diego, CA (Large City setting).
• California State University San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino 22:1; Design Institute of San Diego 8:1.

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

Which college is more expensive, California State University-San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino than Design Institute of San Diego ($5,231 vs. $44,010).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Bernardino are 32.1% lower than at Design Institute of San Diego ($15,002 vs. $22,086).
• Design Institute of San Diego is 262% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-San Bernardino (about $21,207 more per year; $29,300.00 vs. $8,093.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 41.6% higher at Design Institute of San Diego than at California State University San Bernardino (about $8,607 more per year; $29,300.00 vs. $20,693.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Design Institute of San Diego than at California State University San Bernardino (100% vs. 89%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Bernardino students is 2.2% larger than aid received by Design Institute of San Diego students ($12,167 vs. $11,901).

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

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

• 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 San Bernardino 910/1080.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University San Bernardino 15/20.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California State University-San Bernardino - Test-free; Design Institute of San Diego - Open admission.
• Typical fall application deadline: California State University-San Bernardino Nov 30, 2026.
• Design Institute of San Diego has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than California State University-San Bernardino (93.7%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 15.3% at California State University-San Bernardino vs. 28.6% at Design Institute of San Diego.

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

How do outcomes compare for California State University-San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino's (45%).
• Graduates from California State University San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino graduates have a $24,085 lower median loan debt than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($16,500 vs. $40,585).
• Among borrowers, California State University-San Bernardino graduates have an estimated $249 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($170 vs. $419).
• More Design Institute of San Diego graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Bernardino students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 51%)

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.