Yes, there are variations in what being in the honors college means, depending on the university. But, I will make a few assumptions (which you would need to verify are true for the particular college(s) in question):
- All honors classes/sections are taught by a professor (vs. a grad student)
- All honors classes/sections are capped at 20 or 25 students (or lower)
- There are a large number of honors classes/sections that fulfill distribution requirements and/or classes in the major that usually run large
Those 3 benefits alone would have me preferring an honors college at the colleges you mentioned as compared to UT, UF, UNC, and UVA as a general student, with the possible exception of a student having sufficient credits upon entering college where they are jumping into more advanced classes and have fulfilled all their general ed requirements and are primarily interested in their own field and not as much in terms of exploring the college’s other academic offerings.
When combined with options like honors dorms (or honors dorm floors), priority registration, special honors-only events with special guests, etc, to me it’s a no-brainer, especially if additional merit aid comes into play which makes a nice price differential in the honors college’s favor.
That said, even large flagship universities can have a very different feel, so it’s important that whichever universities in question still feel like the right fit for your kid.