<p>Most universities now realize that undergraduate research is an important part of preparing for graduate school and so you can find opportunities in most places. In addition, you can get into summer REU programs which will give you experience at Ph.D. granting institutions. In fact there are many successful graduate students who come out of liberal arts colleges or non-Ph.D. schools. </p>
<p>i would say that usually non-Ph.D. institutions have more of an emphasis on professors teaching courses but this too is a generalization because at my university, Illinois Tech, we take teaching very seriously even though we offer Ph.D.s. I think that a better distinction might be the size of the university.</p>