U of Kansas & U of Kentucky are in lively interesting cities, & with merit aid would be way cheaper than most of the options being mentioned.
OP If your son’s school has a 5 point GPA system American U will accept his weighted GPA. I think with a 4.2 and 1500, he could get merit to bring down the costs to under $60,000. Our NPC run was accurate. American is diverse and in a vibrant city. My DS loves AU & DC. He uses the unlimited Metro card including in the tuition to explore the city with his friends. A bonus is that there are so many free things to do in DC,