My D graduated from the University of Richmond in 2016. She had many research opportunities while there as a Biochemistry/Molecular Biology major. She started doing research with a professor during her freshman year, had paid summer internships, and attended academic conferences. She is currently at UVA working on a PhD program in Biomedical Science (was also accepted to UNC-CH and Duke PhD programs). LACs like UR often have strong science programs and good placements for med school/graduate programs.
As far as costs go, be sure to run the Net Price Calculator for each college your D is considering. That is the best way to to get an estimate for your family’s financial situation. Depending on your D’s stats, there are also LACs which may offer merit aid to get you to budget.