U.S. News names top children's hospitals for 2026-27: Best in regions, specialties and more

Some pediatric hospitals are getting recognized as leaders in their field.

U.S. News & World Report released its 2026-27 rankings of Best Children’s Hospitals early Tuesday. It’s the 20th year that U.S. News has produced a ranking of children’s hospitals. U.S. News has published rankings of the top adult hospitals for 37 years.

U.S. News named a total of 90 hospitals as top performers, including picking the top pediatric organizations in certain regions. In addition, 11 children’s hospitals were named to the honor roll. And U.S. News also named the best pediatric hospitals in certain specialties such as cancer, heart care, and orthopedics.

Jennifer Winston, a health data scientist at U.S. News & World Report, tells Chief Healthcare Executive® that more hospitals are submitting data for its analysis of different specialties.

“One thing that I noticed and am encouraged by is that we had more hospitals participating in almost every specialty that we evaluate this year, and I find that really encouraging,” Winston says. “To me, it indicates a greater trend toward hospital transparency, that hospitals can both look at their own performance in comparison with other hospitals that they are peers with or aspire to perform as well as.

“And it's also greater transparency for families who are looking for the right care for their sick child. And so that's been encouraging to see is that greater move toward reporting data to us and having it available to families and other hospitals,” Winston says.

U.S. News scours data and analyzes outcomes in 11 different types of specialty care. Pediatric hospitals provide data in responses to surveys from U.S. News.

To determine the honor roll, U.S. News examines the top performers in each specialty. All of those in the honor roll ranked among the top 50 hospitals in every specialty, Winston says.

“These are hospitals that are the best in the nation in providing care across all of the specialties,” Winston says. “We're recognizing them for the breadth of excellent care that they provide.”

“Generally, we honor 10 hospitals on our honor roll. This year, we were able to recognize 11 because we had a tie. So, it's exciting to be able to recognize these hospitals that are really doing so well across all of the facets of care that they provide,” she says.

In the regional rankings, there are regions with a few hospitals tied at the top. Winston says that’s encouraging.

“If you have a couple that are tied at the top, it provides more options to parents,” Winston says. “One of those hospitals is going to be closer to home, and so if parents know that two or more hospitals are providing amazing care, it gives them some options, hopefully.”

Honor Roll

U.S. News placed 11 pediatric hospitals on its Honor Roll. They are listed alphabetically.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Boston Children's Hospital

Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora

Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Children's National Hospital, Washington, D.C.

Cincinnati Children's, Cincinnati

Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio

Seattle Children's Hospital

Texas Children's Hospital, Houston

UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Best in region

U.S. News named these pediatric hospitals as the best in each region. In some regions, there is a tie at the top.

Mid-Atlantic

(3-way tie)

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C.

UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Midwest

(3-way tie)

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Cincinnati Children's

Nationwide Children's Hospital (Columbus, Ohio)

New England

Boston Children's Hospital

Pacific

(2-way tie)

Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Seattle Children's Hospital

Rocky Mountain

Children's Hospital Colorado (Aurora, Colo.)

Southeast

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Southwest

Texas Children's Hospital (Houston)

Best in specialties

Here are the top hospitals rated in certain types of specialty care.

Pediatric Cancer

1. Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center

2. Cincinnati Children's

3. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (Memphis, Tenn.)

4. Children's Hospital Los Angeles

5 (tie). Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Seattle Children's Hospital

Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery

1. Texas Children's Hospital (Houston)

2. Children's Hospital Colorado (Aurora, Colo.)

3. Duke Children's Hospital and Health Center (Durham, N.C.)

4. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

5. Children's Health Dallas

Neonatology

1. Boston Children's Hospital

2. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

3. Cincinnati Children's

4. Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford (Palo Alto, Calif.)

5. Texas Children's Hospital (Houston)

Neurology & Neurosurgery

1. Boston Children's Hospital

2. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

3. Texas Children's Hospital

4. Cincinnati Children's

5. Children's National Hospital (Washington, D.C.)

Pediatric Orthopedics

1. Children’s Health Dallas-Scottish Rite for Children

2. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

3. Boston Children's Hospital

4. Nemours Children's Hospital-Delaware (Wilmington)

5. Texas Children's Hospital (Houston)