Bama works.
There are a TON of schools that offer good merit aid, which is where you need to focus. There is a long thread on “Schools that offer good merit aid” here on CC, don’t know how to link it.
There are relatively few schools in the NW and NE that offer merit aid; instead, the good merit aid schools tend to be in the Midwest and the South. Examples: Rhodes; Trinity U; Denison; Wooster; St. Olaf; Creighton Honors off the top of my head. There are many others.
Have you done any college visits yet?
Good luck!