I think if we cared about prestige, with these four it would be
Williams = Swarthmore > Emory = Georgetown
Very slightly… but we’re talking about the HP of LACs vs. the #20ish universities.
But let’s be real, that’s prestige to people who care about it and know higher ed very well. Joe Schmo on the street probably has only heard of Georgetown.
And prestige matters nothing here, since all four are more than adequate for the OP’s goals. It’s about cost, to me – the key differentiator.
What can I tell you? Williams (and, there’s no surprise here - it’s one of the most generous need-based colleges in the country), if money is an issue. But, you seem not to be familiar with small college life. As a NESCAC alum with friends who went to Williams, I think I can speak to some common experiences:
You’ll be a “Williams grad” for the rest of your life. More than most American institutions of higher learning, small colleges really do stamp you with a certain loyalty to a small world that in many ways will remain constant even as the world around you is constantly changing. Faculty who introduced you to basic precepts will often be there twenty years after you’ve graduated and with a little bit of prompting will even remember your name.
The general public will not fall at your feet at the mention of its name. And, you’ll be fine with that. No “I went to college in Western Massachusetts” evasions necessary. You can say proudly, “I went to Williams.” and not lose any friends.
You probably will learn stuff. Being taught by faculty who care about getting the material across to you, really does make you want to be at the top of your game. And it won’t always be about pure knowledge. Very often it’s about who the teacher is. These places have very curated senior faculty who are there for a reason and have been cross-pollinating each other for years. After a while, you begin to know what it is to have an intellect and how to use it.
And lastly, small colleges are just pleasant places to be around, the sorts of places you will want to visit again, maybe with your own kids.
My D22 chose Georgetown over Amherst although the cost was $25K higher.
She’s in SFS and loving every minute at Georgetown on and off the campus.
However, if her major was Econ, I am sure Williams wou’ve been the first choice without any hesitation.
Williams for 34K is an amazing bargain. 
Top LACs in rural areas make SURE to use their endowment to provide students with many, many opportunities to have fun. The alumni are very loyal and since we’re talking Williams, they’re also powerful. Internships will not be a problem.
Thank you for spelling out what I was trying to say!
The most prestigious, best endowed school with the best faculty in economics is cheaper than the other options? For someone thinking about a PhD in Economics, I am surprised that this is even a question. Only Georgetown here might be competitive, if you said that you were more interested in getting into the practical side of politics and pursuing internships during the academic year.
The only reason to not go to Williams would be if you had a gut feeling when visiting there that you were not going to be happy. That is legitimate and something to listen to. But by all external metrics, Williams will give you a better education in your professed interest.
Williams is very generous. Any student on any financial aid gets free books and free health insurance. They have a huge endowment, provide generous stipends for summer research for students ( with faculty), provide funds for unfunded internship, career center works with students closely on internships, jobs and the outcomes are great! You get to be a paid TA right from sophomore (sometimes freshmen) year. These are opportunities you are not going to get elsewhere.
If I were looking at these four very good schools, and if the cost were the same, I am pretty sure that I would choose Williams College. It is a very good school. Western Massachusetts is also very attractive. In terms of internships the many companies in the Boston area know how strong Williams is. So do graduate admissions throughout the US (and elsewhere).
In graduate school as a math major I took one single elective, which was econometrics. This is quantitative economics. There is quite a bit of math in quantitative economics. Math is another thing that Williams is very good for.
And minimizing or avoiding debt is a big deal also.
Those schools are all on equal footing so it is entirely up to you to prioritize your needs and interests.
A few points which people don’t always consider are 1)You are likely to make life long friends and job contacts through your college so which is/are in a location/region you would most like to settle? 2) It doesn’t matter if a school has the top “underwater basket weaving” curriculum if you are not interested in underwater basket weaving so think about what potential majors you are most interested in then look at which of those schools offer the most options of your choices 3)Cost matters. Cost matters. Cost matters.
Congratulations on so many great options!
In this case, for the OP, only one of the four listed schools can be affordable within the constraint imposed by the parent contribution, so the OP does not have much choice here.
Welcome, punte.punte! It helps to have what sounds like first hand knowledge/ information.
A few comments on your comments which also come from first hand knowledge: 1) other schools provide stipends for summer research 2) other schools provide funds for unfunded internships and 3)paid TA positions starting freshman/sophomore year happen at other schools.
Those are all great features for the OP to know about. If they are things the OP is interested in, s/he should check each of these schools to see which do offer those.
You are right grandscheme. Should have said “may not”. Not sure if other schools provide “free books” and “free health insurance”. Research/internship opportunities may not be very different among these schools. Not sure about TA options for undergrads in schools that have graduate students. Again, all are great options, but Williams looks like a great value!
Williams also provides free artwork on loan from their museum for students to hang on their dorm room walls.
It it appears that Williams at $34k/yr is the only affordable one. And it (like all of your options) is a top school (probably the tippy top), so win-win!
Well, just to pile on, given your profile, I agree with others that there really isn’t a decision here. Williams 100%, unless, as one other poster wisely points out, there is something about Williams (location, whatever) that you are truly and clearly convinced will make you unhappy. And that’s a tough one, because you won’t really know until you know; and every other relevant consideration points to Williams, particularly any inclination for pursuing a PhD in Econ.
Are you able to visit Williams before you commit? If the cost of traveling to Williams is preventing you from attending Previews, I would reach out to admissions to see if they can provide financial assistance. I think a visit is important if it’s at all possible. Williamstown is lovely, but remote, and even though Swarthmore isn’t in a city, it’s in a suburb, not a small, rural town, with easy access to a major city.
Do you think you would choose Swarthmore over Williams if the costs were almost the same? If so, I would consider appealing your aid offer at Swarthmore since Williams is a peer institution.
This suggests a good general question. Which school, at this stage, would be your top choice without consideration of finances?
If there is something about Williams that is unacceptable, then it is likely that the answer to the question is an unnamed (in this thread) school that you also have admission to with affordability – presumably, you applied to less selective schools for safety and likely chances. Georgetown, Swarthmore, and Emory are too expensive given the need for substantial parent loans or parent-cosigned loans to pay for them, so they are not really options.
Yes, I will be visiting Williams for their Previews weekend in a couple of weeks.
We have tried negotiating with Swarthmore, but they said that they cannot match other offers, so it seems like the price will be as it is.
I am also not entirely sure which would be my top choice right now! I loved Georgetown when we visited, and I feel like I would enjoy my time there, but I also know that I would probably be happy anywhere. So, the decision right now definitely comes down to cost and how much my parents are willing to contribute!