Design Institute of San Diego vs. UC Merced

Comparable Facts

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

University of California Merced is larger than Design Institute of San Diego based on total student enrollment (9,110 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); University of California Merced is in Merced, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• Design Institute of San Diego is a private, for-profit 4-year institution. University of California Merced is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Design Institute of San Diego 8:1; University of California Merced 20:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Merced are 2.9% lower than at Design Institute of San Diego ($21,445 vs. $22,086).
• Out-of-state tuition is 70% higher at UC Merced than at Design Institute of San Diego (about $20,523 more per year; $49,823 vs. $29,300).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Design Institute of San Diego than at University of California Merced (100% vs. 89%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 129.3% larger than aid received by Design Institute of San Diego students ($27,292 vs. $11,901).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are open admission at Design Institute of San Diego, test-free at UC Merced.
• Typical fall application deadline: UC Merced Nov 30, 2026.
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 28.6% at Design Institute of San Diego vs. 7.2% at UC Merced.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, University of California Merced graduates have a $20,686 lower median loan debt than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($19,899 vs. $40,585).
• Among borrowers, UC Merced graduates have an estimated $214 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($205 vs. $419).
• More Design Institute of San Diego graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation (68% vs. 64%).

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