CW has a good reputation for engineering. But I wouldn’t say its known for its PolSci.
Providing you can afford it, I’d go with Pepperdine (religiousness aside) since you want a small school, and because when looking at its PolSci program, it has some pretty interesting features including internships in DC. Pepperdine also has excellent study abroad programs (great for PolSci). http://seaver.pepperdine.edu/socialscience/undergraduate/political-science/
Plus Malibu is a great place to live (and easy to get to the best part of LA).
Just because it’s religious doesn’t mean its academics aren’t good. (The fact is, PolSci, more than many other subjects, is always going to be colored by the leaning of the university.)
Now, whether it’s worth going to over a $25K scholarship from CWRU? Possibly not. But that is something that only you can decide based on your family’s financial situation.