Questions about college?

I live in north west Indiana, about an hour a way from Chicago. I want to go to college for Culinary, and I hear Chicago has tons of great schools for that. The thing is, I don't understand how you can tell if a college is "great" or "good." What makes it a good school? How do I know if its reputable. I've gone to a few college websites, but all of the schools try to sell themselves, you know? Millions of reasons why you should go there... Can someone give me like, an outline of things to look for. Or what makes a school reputable. Also, how do I know if a school charges out of state fees? I'm so close to Chicago, but still in Indiana.