Universities have more clout, generally higher admission standards, generally talked about more, all resulting in more desirability. They translate this desirability into higher admission costs as people are willing to pay. This also lets them build out more facilities and advertise more, further reinforcing the cycle.

I'm not sure how they compare to schools abroad, but Community Colleges in the US are significantly cheaper than Universities in the US. It might be worth looking into those.

California, especially Los Angeles

You are also looking at one of the most expensive places in the US. Everything costs more there. Also note that list is just cities. If you are outside a city, particularly in a cheaper state, prices drop even more.

You have to remember that the US is like 50 not-so-little countries. You get very large variations between them.