Public universities are not bad. I did my time in Univ of Washington and Utah State University, and I definitely feel like I got my money's worth.

A warning, though. UW's proximity to MS and the other tech companies made the department really exclusive for undergrads while I was there. I majored in something besides CS, then did my master's in CS later. You'll want to learn about what the department's standards are (eg, competitive admission for starters) so you know what you have to do to get in.

I recommend you email or call the department secretaries and ask for some information and a hookup with a current student. Assuming the secretary and the student are helpful, you'll learn a lot about what you need to know.

OT, apply for scholarships like crazy. Don't make my mistake.