<p>It won’t matter how much higher the ranking is if you end up not liking the school. The small LACs can vary quite a bit in their feel. My son and I must have visited over 20, including some on your list. In many ways they were interchangeable as far as what they offered as a liberal arts college but not so in what they emphasized as their culture. </p>
<p>You also need to look very carefully at the departments for the majors you are considering. My son’s interest was ancient history and there were a few departments that hardly had any classes or faculty in the area so they were dropped from the list. </p>
<p>USNWR is just one ranking. There are others that have the schools in a very different order. You really need to decide what are the important factors to you and decide.</p>