Choosing a college is extremely important and personal as you will spend at least the next four years there. If you like the area maybe you will even want to try for a Green Card eventually to stay there. Firstly though you should consider;
x. Whether you would prefer an urban, suburban, or rural surrounding
x. Whether you want an active campus life
x. What your financial restraints are including how much you can afford to spend on general living expenses such as food
x. What size campus you would prefer
x. Whether you would like a public or private university
x. Your academic background and therefore the realistic chances you have at different schools
x. Your religious preferences and whether these would effect your choices
x. If you have a preference for a particular state or area
x. Whether you want a coast nearby
x. What transport you require (especially if you don't intend to drive)
x. What type of instituion you want (4-year, 2-year, professional, community etc)
x. What courses you are interested in
x. Extra curricular activities you desire
Some sites such as CollegeNet (key links) will put some of this information into a search engine and show you your match schools.
Alternatively, you could choose the state you like best and then look at the majors each college in that state has, the tuition fees etc and make your decision.
Don't however exclude options. A good number of colleges to apply for is six; 1 reach option, 2 maybe options and 3 safety options. Although it would be nice if we all got into our reach colleges, it might be a bit cramped with 20 people sharing each room.