<p>CU Boulder isn’t going to offer you very much. It’s a school that looks to OOS students for cold hard cash; as most public schools, the little financial aid it offers is for in-state students.</p>
<p>I’m adding UC Berkeley to your list. Lots of hiking possibilities right behind the campus in the hills; sailing in the SF Bay, Yosemite & the Sierras 4 hours away, great wild coastline to explore just north of the city, the wine country… you’d definitely need a car, though.</p>