My SoCal daughter was admitted at UCB (which she actually had no interest in attending) and UCLA (where a lot of her acquaintances enrolled). She ended up attending Rice. She preferred the more intimate, personalized atmosphere at Rice, but another key factor motivating that decision was cost: Because we were not a full-pay family, and because Rice had a generous financial aid policy that more than offset the benefits of in-state tuition at UCLA, Rice actually turned out to be cheaper for her than UCLA.
Hence I would suggest that before you dismiss either NU or Rice as cost-prohibitive vis-a-vis UCB, you consider the impact of likely financial aid awards on the total cost of attendance. (Of course, if you are a full-pay family, then UCB will almost certainly be cheaper, given the advantage of in-state tuition.)
I would add that DD’s lack of interest in UCB stemmed in part from reports that her mom (a CC instructor) had received from local kids who went to UCB: It is a large school which has, despite its leftover “hippie” reputation, a very driven, very competitive student body, and an administration ill suited to provide much personalized support or attention. Major aside, UCB has a sink-or-swim vibe (more so, I think, than UCLA) that does not suit every potential student. On the other hand, if you can make it as a CS major at UCB, you will be very well positioned career wise. Good luck!