Hi, I am currently a junior and am interested in majoring in PoliSci or Econ (and then minor in the other). I am a recruited athlete and have narrowed my schools down to Union, Hamilton, Bates, and F&M. I have visited all the schools besides Bates. I loved all the campuses ( I think Hamilton’s was stunning). I do not mind going to a rural school, but I fear I may get bored. I loved the city of Lancaster and its history (I’m a history buff). I loved Union’s campus too, but Schenectady is eh. I know that Bates and Hamilton are considered better schools, but will my education quality be that much different if I attend Union or F&M?
Thanks 
This analysis may offer you an indication of the strength of your choices’ economics departments: https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html.
For the study of government, Hamilton’s long-established D.C. program might be of interest: https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/offcampusstudy/washington-program. Bates and F&M offer excellent government programs as well.
With respect to overall educational quality, you will note differences among these schools in areas such as their student profiles. If schools mostly overlap in their profiles, then they are more likely to be equivalent in their academic atmospheres. Schools that barely overlap, however, may differ substantially in their atmospheres. (See their Common Data Sets for statistical information.)
Since you will be competing intercollegiately, consider which athletic conference would suit you best. NESCAC, Centennial, or Liberty?
My son had all 4 of these on his list when he was applying as well with similar interests. I think you can get a great education at any of them and they are pretty similar in vibe.
A couple of things… Bates has short term at the end of the year. This can be a huge selling point for a spring athlete-- championships and exams aren’t at the same time. For soccer, it matters less.
I really liked Union’s academic calendar. It will put you on a slightly different schedule than friends at other colleges. For many students, focusing on 3 classes at a time, with 3 terms, is a little easier. It also means one extra set of exams. This also makes internships during the year more doable. They give merit scholarships, which the other 3 don’t, so if you would otherwise be FP, this could be a much cheaper option. And it’s super easy to get out of Schenectady on public transportation (depending on where home is.)
F&M was really friendly and has a more Mid-Atlantic feel. I thought they were pretty intentional about how they tried to set up community for incoming freshmen. While you will have your team, this could be an essy way to expand beyond that. Yes, great area for American history!
Hamilton may give you more freedom in course selection. Probably the most isolated campus.
These are all excellent schools. Bates and Ham probably have a tad more prestige but I don’t think that would impact your education - since that is your question. I would definitely sit with the course catalog at each and try to put together 4 years based on current interests, general and departmental requirements, etc. Look at study abroad programs to see what’s available and allowed – departments have different rules on this. All 4 schools make use of programs offered by other institutions but perhaps not the same. If you will have FA, confirm you can use it for this purpose.
Also know that until you have a final thumbs up from the coach, the choice may not be yours. They all are talking to more recruits than they will ultimately support… I think these are all great options - you can’t go wrong.
Thanks for the responses, they were both helpful and informative! I know whatever school I go to, I’ll be happy and I really can’t go wrong.
With respect to your further research, note that rankings disparities can disguise academic similarities across some of your choices. F&M registers a higher 25th percentile SAT score (1290) than Bates (1280), for instance.
I agree with @merc81
The academic caliber at all four will be similar. Union offers engineering, which attracts some really smart STEM kids, a benefit for a diverse intellectual environment on campus. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Franklin & Marshall as well.
Partly, though, I think the point might be not to rely exclusively on USN rankings when evaluating academic atmospheres, in that they can disguise similarities and differences. Hamilton’s 25th percentile SAT level (1410), for example, exceeds the next highest 25th percentile level from this group (F&M, at 1290) by a significant 120 points. (Nonetheless, F&M’s 75th percentile level (1418) extends slightly above Hamilton’s 25th percentile level (1410), which pertains to the overlap mentioned in an earlier reply.) For context, these are the 25th percentile levels for the four schools, which provide a somewhat different ordering, as well as different groupings, then general rankings suggest:
Hamilton: 1410
F&M: 1290
Bates: 1280
Union: 1220
Note, however, that by 75th percentile scores, F&M, Bates and Union would change positions, which indicates very strong academic overlap across these three schools in particular:
Hamilton: 1510
Bates: 1460
Union: 1420
F&M: 1418