I would say STEM careers are pretty exciting, if you can land in private or government labs, as well as academic labs. this pays well, but I do not mean to discourage you from becoming an LAC professor at all. Do what you love !
In the physical sciences, explore both government and private sector labs like–
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov
https://jila.colorado.edu
http://www.ttic.edu
https://www.ll.mit.edu
https://nationalmaglab.org
https://www.nrel.gov
https://www.noaa.gov
Those include planetary science, atomic physics, computer science, electrical engineering, high magnetic field physics, renewable energy and meteorology and climate change labs.
Also pull up the science departments at your top five college choices you listed, and see what the science departments look like.
You can learn a lot from the internet about science careers. Government websites are in particular very detailed.
If you are more chemistry focused look at EPA, Dow/Dupont Chemical.
Biomedical is a booming field as well, search on genetics, prothesis, artificial skin, drug delivery, pharmaceutical firms.
Larger public schools often have very strong biology, chemistry and physics. Check your in state option carefully.
US news is a rough guide to how strong your public program science and engineering programs are rated. It gives you an idea about research dollars, its not really a rank of the education you will receive in the sciences, but you
can get a good education at public programs.