Have you looked at Bridgewater College in the town of Bridgewater, VA (LAC with 1,800 students)? We live near there and have always been impressed by the college and the town. It’s 20 miles north of MBU. Bridgewater College offers a unique major in Professional Writing – one of the few colleges in VA that does. The town is a safe, generous place with a small but vibrant main street (theater, ice rink, farmers market, coffee shops, a few quirky shops). My son considered going there but ended up at JMU. Bridgewater college offers generous merit aid. (Note: It’s a town of 6,000+, so it’s nowhere near the size of Staunton. Staunton is one of my favorite small cities – it truly has everything! Bridgewater is 20 miles north of Staunton and about 6 miles south of Harrisonburg.) If you are headed up to MBU anyway, it would be well worth your time to visit Bridgewater.
Another REALLY cute LAC with a quirky downtown in Denison University in Granville, OH. I’m sure it’s too far away for you, but we had a “friend-led” tour there and LOVED it. Good luck!