In CA, these are the ten ABET accredited Aero schools, 9 of which are public. There’s only 80 in the US (likely less as ABET duplicates some listings). By contrast, there are 425 MechE, some of which will have an aero concentration, etc.
Have you looked at Pomona?
If you want to be close to home, U of Arizona Aero is very strong, well regarded - and it will be low $40s with $20K merit. It’s safe - if distance is an issue - i.e you don’t want to go across the country. It’s also one of the top physics schools in the country - obviously related.
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State University, Long Beach
San Diego State University
San Jose State University
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, San Diego
University of Southern California