Typically OOS correlates to merit. I still see they offer $15K a year but not sure if that’s as readily available as the other year. What my son got.
The big OOS colleges are the Bamas, U of SC, Arizona, Miami of Ohio, etc - the ones with huge merit. Also, and I could be wrong, it’s easier for kids to go cold to warm then warm to cold.
I personally think - short of the elite kids trying to get to elite jobs - people overstate the ranking. People choose colleges for myriad of reasons - cost, location, weather, size, football - you name it.
All really are solid - and you can paralyze yourself with fear based on ranking. On the flipside, a school like IU will have invested in its business school. UMN will have access, right near campus, to tons of jobs.
I personally wouldn’t go to UIUC - just because I think it’s one of the uglier campuses in the country. Others disagree with me. When I went to grad school, UIUC actually flew me in - like a job interview - trying to recruit me. And as the plane approached Urbana/Champaign, it was dreadful. And the campus was dreadful. My son (goes to Bama) but we did a Purdue (he loved the campus) and UIUC visit - and he said without prompt - dad, it’s ugly here. So I personally wouldn’t go there - and they’re losing the best and brightest in Illinois to schools like Bama who give so much merit away - actually articles about it - but that’s just a personal preference. Obviously it’s a wonderful school - the Ilini!!
Boulder - cool town in the mountains - very expensive to live off campus - many go to surrounding towns, etc. Lehigh is neat- much smaller - I loved the tour - but the area you don’ t read too many nice things - and then it will likely cost more - but a great school.
USD is solid for supply chain.
I mean - there’s not a single bad option on your list.
The only bad thing is looking at rank vs. finding what’s right.
It sounds like Kelley concerns you - but you might compare faculty sizes - it’s likely largest… Or find out class sizes from them. Some high ranked schools - you didn’t apply - but Florida, for example, their first year classes are online - even b4 covid - and that bugs people. So there are little nuances.
With this list, to me, weather would be the concern - is your son ok with freezing? If not, you can eliminate all but ASU, Chapman, your in-states and maybe Indiana - cold but warmer than the rest.
Then size - these schools are gargantuan.
After that - where’s he feel great. My son loved Purdue even though he turned them down for Bama - didn’t like the housing shortage at Purdue (check into that) whereas he got his own dorm room at Bama. So you never know why kids choose. Most like Indiana’s campus way more than Purdue - but not my kid - so everyone is different. UMN is big city, etc.
Anyway - food for thought - but take the virtual tours and all the other things and it does sound like COA will matter to you - so that’s going to shed light anyway. Are you going to go to San Diego at $75K or Lehigh at $75K when ASU is maybe $40K, etc. - that type of stuff.
OK- good luck - but don’t get into paralysis by analysis. You will find outcomes similar and #s skewed by where the schools are. For example, I chose ASU (#40 at the time) for my MBA whereas IU was #6 at the time - lower now. But IUs salaries were only $2K higher and they were placing mainly in Chicago which was a higher cost of living than ASU who was placing in Arizona at the time (more regional than today)…yep, I’ve done the paralysis by analysis. And honestly, I hadn’t a clue what supply chain was at the time.
Truth is, I’d have been fine anywhere - and as it turns out, I hate the cold 
Good luck.
Interesting read to see how others think
Growing brain drain: University of Alabama’s gain in drawing Illinois students is a loss for Illinois - Chicago Tribune
