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I would personally much rather go to undergrad at Colgate than Cal/Berkeley or UCLA as I just think the atmosphere would be much better. It depends what you mean when it comes to prestige and academics. The student selectivity and class profile is comparable between the schools and would think the academic experience would be much more rewarding at Colgate. The professors may be more famous at the CA schools but how that tangibly benefits you as an UG student is unclear to me. In at least some ways, it is a negative to me because the classes will be much larger at UCB or UCLA and the profs are going to be less focused on teaching and UG student development in comparison to Colgate and you will have to contend with TAs, which isn't something you'll have to deal with at Colgate. I actually knew someone at Colgate who had transferred from UCLA who later realized she had the same outlook as me, so it really depends what environment you're seeking.
From what I have seen, I don't think Colgate's name is any less respected on the East Coast but the West Coast may be a different story. Philosophy is probably considered Colgate's strongest department.
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