There are many ways.
The first cut to me is money.
If you have a budget, you eliminate any at (inflation) or above the budget.
Secondly, you visit (hopefully) and then some will stand out more than others - and you cut those that don’t stand out well.
Thirdly, you can start doing head to heads. So if you have 5, instead of looking at all 5 at once - take two - if you had school A or B, which would you choose. The winner stays in. The non-winner drops off. If A wins, now you compare A to C, etc.
Other things (if you can’t get there) - ask the school to speak to a student ambassador, and you can ask questions about vibe, feel, etc. Look at curriculums - do they have your major? How many electives do they offer? Do they have other minors or majors of interest?
You can look at niche ratings - for food, dorms…student reviews…or other.
Weather
Access to transportation
What’s important to you - but many ways to narrow in on a choice.
Here’s the other thing - it’s not a one and only - you might choose a school, not sure if it’s right - but it’s possible that A, B and C would all be great for you - so you may not have a bad choice!!
Good luck.