Programs at Oberlin and Macalester

[wynton]

I posted a question here once before, as my son was beginning the college application process. Now that the decisions have arrived, it appears that he will likely be deciding between Oberlin and Macalester.

From what I can discern, the schools are very close in reputation as a general matter, but I can't tell how their physics departments compare. Does anyone have an opinion about their physics programs specifically?

Also, my son thinks he may eventually want to pursue astrophysics. Is that a reason to favor either school?

Thanks.

 

[wynton]

I am bumping this thread, in the hope that it will catch someone's interest this time.

We visited Oberlin and Macalester last week. My son seems to like Macalester more in general, but he is concerned that Oberlin's physics/astronomy program might be much stronger than Macalester, enough so that it is a determinative factor.

Is there any objective way of assessing how strong the physics programs are at each school? Is there any resource from a third-party that reliably rates or evaluates undergraduate programs?