I am not sure that I understand your question so I might be giving what sounds like a stupid answer.
My S graduated with an IB diploma and graduated a year ago with honors from a top 50 LAC. I think that he found the IB classes to be more stressful and possibly more rigorous but maybe the LAC seemed easier because the earlier program taught me how to organize and study. Or maybe the LAC was just as or even more rigorous and he didn’t feel the need to tell me because he was an adult.
I don’t think that I am grasping your question but since no one else was answering, I thought I would try.