With that budget, you'll have quite a few options. Many newer shooters might prefer something chambered in 9mm, because those guns will tend to have less recoil than guns
of similar size that shoot larger bullets such as .40 S&W or .45 ACP. And 9mm ammo is also cheaper, meaning you can get more practice for your money (which may be more important than the gun itself).
This doesn't mean you couldn't start with a bigger caliber. I'm only recommending what I might do in your situation.
Here's a link to some popular 9mm handguns that might interest you.
http://www.best9mm.com/
This list only reflects a certain person/group's opinions, so the actual ranking is debatable, but it does include some of the most popular choices.