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

Comparable Facts

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

California State University San Marcos is larger than Design Institute of San Diego based on total student enrollment (16,237 students vs. 94 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Design Institute of San Diego is located in San Diego, CA (Large City setting); California State University San Marcos is in San Marcos, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• Design Institute of San Diego is a private, for-profit 4-year institution. California State University San Marcos is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Design Institute of San Diego 8:1; California State University San Marcos 24:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 35.9% lower than at Design Institute of San Diego ($14,152 vs. $22,086).
• Out-of-state tuition is 41.7% higher at Design Institute of San Diego than at California State University San Marcos (about $8,618 more per year; $29,300 vs. $20,682).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Design Institute of San Diego than at California State University San Marcos (100% vs. 71%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Design Institute of San Diego students is 7% larger than aid received by California State University San Marcos students ($11,901 vs. $11,123).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are open admission at Design Institute of San Diego, test-free at California State University-San Marcos.
• Typical fall application deadline: California State University-San Marcos Nov 30, 2026.
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 28.6% at Design Institute of San Diego vs. 14% at California State University-San Marcos.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University San Marcos graduates have a $22,590 lower median loan debt than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($17,995 vs. $40,585).
• Among borrowers, California State University-San Marcos graduates have an estimated $233 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($186 vs. $419).
• More Design Institute of San Diego graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Marcos students, three years after graduation (68% vs. 66%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.