Whitman is a gem! If you are looking for rigorous academics with a tight knit community and like the idea of the small town atmosphere you would love Whitman. Colorado College is similar, and shares a significant number of applicants. CC is not in the PNW but I figured I would mention it since it is such a similar school- academically, socially, etc. Of course there are some big differences- CC has a block plan and it is in downtown Colorado Springs.
Montana State has enjoyed a dramatic increase in popularity. If you can get into the honors college there are some excellent academic opportunities in the STEM programs. But it isn’t a small LAC and there is a ton of emphasis on research (and the money it brings to the school). MSU has just opened a fabulous new facility for business and entrepreneurship. Bozeman is a lovely town to boot.
I used to live not far from UPS. It is located in a very nice neighborhood in Tacoma. Indeed it is surrounded by single family homes. Thus not much to do off campus without transportation. The campus itself is very pleasant and well maintained, but not special (at least not visually).
I have visited the city of Walla Walla about half a dozen times, but never set foot on the Whitman campus. Personally, Walla Walla is my favorite small town in America. It is like a slice of Seattle was moved 280 miles southeast. A very sophisticated small town! Absolutely love Walla Walla, and it is on my short list of cities to retire to.
Echoing the previous poster who suggested Western Washington, it’s a hidden gem. Bellingham is a nice place (Seattle about 90 minutes away by car) and, according to Naviance for our local high schools, it gets more academically prepared students on average than Washington State. Finally, it’s not for everyone but Evergreen State is our public LAC and would be worth checking out.
Given you have Whitman and UPS on the list, I’d also recommend checking out Willamette and Lewis and Clark.
Finally, if you like the Northwest, you might as well checkout schools in British Columbia–UBC or Simon Fraser–as well. I’d bet they’re cheaper than OOS tuition to UW.
I think it is really important to visit. Some people love the small town Walla Walla and some people find it to be unpleasant. Personally, I like Walla Walla. Whitman has amazing outdoor programs that are very affordable. When you are accepted you have the option to go on a “scramble” which is a Freshman orientation in the wilderness for a week or so which is amazing. I think you should really think about whether you want a small campus or large campus, and decide from there. I personally love the small classes and individual attention, but I know there are perks at big universities that may be attractive to some students. Then if you decide you went to go to an LAC and they give you a reasonable amount of money, decide whether you want to live in a fairly large city (tacoma) or not. I would say Whitman is more prestigious and the kids are often smarter than UPS, but UPS is in a large city which could be a perk and near Seattle. Good luck!