Musicians Institute vs. USD

Comparable Facts

Compare Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA with University of San Diego in San Diego, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of San Diego is larger than Musicians Institute based on total student enrollment (9,714 students vs. 824 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Musicians Institute is located in Hollywood, CA (Large City setting); University of San Diego is in San Diego, CA (Large City setting).
• Musicians Institute is a private, for-profit 4-year institution. University of San Diego is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Musicians Institute 6:1; University of San Diego 13:1.

Musicians Institute vs. USD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Musicians Institute or USD? 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 University of San Diego than Musicians Institute ($37,918 vs. $49,657).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Diego are 9.8% lower than at Musicians Institute ($19,918 vs. $22,086).
• University of San Diego is 73.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than Musicians Institute (about $25,164 more per year; $59,486.00 vs. $34,322.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 73.3% higher at USD than at Musicians Institute (about $25,164 more per year; $59,486.00 vs. $34,322.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of San Diego than at Musicians Institute (84% vs. 48%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 841.1% larger than aid received by Musicians Institute students ($40,965 vs. $4,353).

Musicians Institute vs. USD Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Musicians Institute or USD? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between USD and Musicians Institute.

• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Musicians Institute - Test-free; USD - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: USD Dec 15, 2026.
• Musicians Institute has a higher acceptance rate (77.9%) than USD (52.4%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 40.6% at Musicians Institute vs. 12.4% at USD.

Musicians Institute vs. USD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Musicians Institute and USD? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• University of San Diego's six-year graduation rate (75%) is higher than Musicians Institute's (67%).
• Graduates from University of San Diego earn a median of about $35,300 more per year than Musicians Institute graduates about ten years after starting college ($70,200 vs. $34,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Musicians Institute students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 53%)

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.