Design Institute of San Diego vs. San Francisco State

Comparable Facts

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

San Francisco State University is larger than Design Institute of San Diego based on total student enrollment (22,563 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); San Francisco State University is in San Francisco, CA (Large City setting).
• Design Institute of San Diego is a private, for-profit 4-year institution. San Francisco State University is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Design Institute of San Diego 8:1; San Francisco State University 19:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Design Institute of San Diego are 0.8% lower than at San Francisco State University ($22,086 vs. $22,266).
• Out-of-state tuition is 42.6% higher at Design Institute of San Diego than at San Francisco State University (about $8,750 more per year; $29,300 vs. $20,550).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Design Institute of San Diego than at San Francisco State University (100% vs. 77%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by San Francisco State University students is 9.2% larger than aid received by Design Institute of San Diego students ($12,996 vs. $11,901).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are open admission at Design Institute of San Diego, test-free at San Francisco State.
• Typical fall application deadline: San Francisco State Nov 30, 2026.
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 28.6% at Design Institute of San Diego vs. 8.6% at San Francisco State.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, San Francisco State University graduates have a $23,335 lower median loan debt than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($17,250 vs. $40,585).
• Among borrowers, San Francisco State graduates have an estimated $241 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($178 vs. $419).
• More Design Institute of San Diego graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Francisco State students, three years after graduation (68% vs. 63%).

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