I have been to McDaniel (used to live near there when it was still Westminster, although closer to Goucher) and Lawrence and many small towns in Iowa although not to Grinnell. If an 18 year old is at McDaniel and having trouble fitting in or finding a counselor, it’s not a quick trip to Baltimore like it would be for an adult with a car.
These schools have 1500 students. There is no where to find more friends if the ones the admissions officer accepts aren’t your type. Even Goucher has more outlets, a bus to downtown or professionals outside the school (as OP said she’s looking for).
I admitted I have a prejudice against the smaller schools in the small towns. I felt claustrophobic but let my kids look at them (until they came around to my way of thinking)