I would put the most stock into what your gut tells you. From what I read, you dig Iowa State. I’d go there. All of the choices have strengths. All will have weaknesses that will only be apparent once you arrive on campus. It’s far more about making the most out of your opportunities than it is about trying to parse out which might be “better” by objective data.
As for AAU, it’s yet another piece of data. I’d put very little emphasis on it. My alma mater, University of Missouri, is on the list. I hardly consider it a paragon of higher science. Certainly they have their competencies, but there are lots of very good schools that aren’t members.