I think of Brandeis and Tulane as relative academic peers.
But they are such different places – different architecture, different cities with different cultures, even different campus cultures. Rah-rah sports vs. the lack thereof. Big-time fraternity involvement vs. not so much.
If costs and academic offerings are similar for what you want to study, I would 100% make this based on location/culture. If you visit both, you’ll likely know which you prefer rather quickly.