Start checking at your local airport(s) for schools. In the best option there will be multiple schools so you can get a bid on the normal 40 hour "course". Keep in mind that few folks get their license in less than 50 hours so the old FAA standard of 40 hours will not be the total cost. You will need to ask what is the average number of hours their students take for licensing, their pass rate on first test (FAA check ride) and materials available. Check their planes for condition. Older birds are not bad but stained, oil soaked, deteriorated birds are not a good sign of competent and continuing maintenance. How many instructors do they have and what is their student per instructor load? How long have the instructors been there or are they doing a lot of turn over?
Last thing is how comfortable do you feel visiting their facility. You will be spending a LOT of time there. Oh and you want an integrated ground school not just a stack of books to study then take the test.
