My nephew was looking for an urban environment with a distinct campus, which is what the OP seems to be looking for. He chose Macalester, which – apart from the interminable winter/snow/cold thing, fill the bill perfectly. I would concentrate first on where in the country you want to be (Northeast/West/South) and pick a city that you think you’d want to live in (It won’t do you any good if we well you that Rice has a great campus in the middle of Houston if living in Texas is not your cup of tea).