Read the book “Choosing The RIght College” by John ZmIrak. It ranks the top schools by openness to diverse (conservative) ideas- its mainly focused on liberal arts but will be helpful generally and is a fun book to read.
There is a website called College Confidential. It is a great source for college related information and if you read through the threads and see people saying a school is “too preppy” they usually are saying its conservative and it’s a college you might like
Texas public schools are very expensive for out of state students. You should call and speak to the financial aid office of colleges you are interested in, and use the expected family contribution calculator on their websites. Sometimes private schools give more aid.. If you like Texas, look at OKlahoma and Oklahoma State and university of Tulsa. All very good. Engineering schools and a little more affordable.
Good luck,
Sorry about all the typos. Typing from iPad and no coffee yet