As a statistical aspect to consider, Reed’s standardized scoring profile is quite high in relation to its U.S. News ranking. Based on CDS profiles, Reed’s median SAT score appears to be 82.5 points higher than that of Bates. This could suggest a difference in academic atmosphere between the two colleges.
At Bates, however, students are more likely to stay at their college and graduate within four years: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/highest-grad-rate.