My D went to a Catholic college prep HS in OH and Dayton was a very popular choice amongst high achievers because of the high merit award potential. She had many friends who landed there who weren’t partiers at all. They have lots of fun traditions that are not alcohol related (and the university is doing a good job of cutting down on that).
Dayton is also still test optional and with merit would meet the OP’s preferred budget. And with a student population of over 11K students, any kid should be able to find their people. Application is also free.