Expensive doesn’t mean better. One of my siblings attended a cc and a state school and works at a TV network in a major market making the same as her coworkers who graduated from NYU. She’s always worked hard and is good at what she does. I think that matters. I wouldn’t search out expensive schools just because they’re expensive.
First, you need to set a budget. Can your parents contribute anything? Can you work? Students can earn ~$3k over the summer. If you fill out the FAFSA (at Fafsa.gov), you can find out your family EFC (estimated family contribution). All it really tells you is if you qualify for a Pell grant. If your family income is ~$60k, you probably won’t qualify for much (if any). The lower your income, the higher the grant you may be eligible for (up to about $5k). And you can borrow about $5500/year (you have to file the FAFSA for the federal student loans to be abailable to you).
The other way to get money for school is through scholarships from the schools. The best aid comes from the colleges. Some offer merit aid if your SAT/ACT scores and GPA are high enough. Others offer need based aid, but I think spots at those colleges are tough to get. Run the Net Price Calculator on each college website to gey an estimate if how much they’ll cost.
What state are you in? I’d start by finding a couple of good safeties (a school you know you can afford, that you can get accepted to, and would be happy to attend). Then add schools where you may qualify for scholarships.