The annual U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals rankings provide parents with guidance in finding optimal care for their critically ill children at the top pediatric hospitals in the US. Ranking 89 hospitals across 10 specialties such as pediatric cancer, cardiology, heart surgery, and orthopedics in the 2023–2024 edition, the top 50 medical centers offer exceptional expertise. Ten hospitals earned a place on the U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll because they received top rankings in many different areas of medicine.
Top Children’s Hospitals in the US
Check out the top 10 children’s hospitals in the United States:
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Boston Children’s Hospital
- Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
- Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
- UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
- Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California
- Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Maryland
Regional Children’s Hospital Rankings
To help families find great pediatric hospitals nearby, U.S. News ranked children’s hospitals in every state and seven groups of states. Here are the top hospitals in each region:
- In the Pacific region: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
- In the Rocky Mountain region: Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora.
- In the Southwest region: Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
- In the Southeast region: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Duke Children’s Hospital and Health Center in Durham, and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville (they all tied for the top spot).
- In the Midwest region: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
- In the Mid-Atlantic region: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
- In the New England region: Boston Children’s Hospital.
Ranking of Children’s Hospital Based on Specialties
Here are the top children’s hospitals in different areas of medicine:
- Cancer: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
- Heart problems: Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
- Diabetes and hormone issues: Boston Children’s Hospital and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (they tied).
- Stomach and intestine issues: Boston Children’s Hospital.
- Newborn care: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Kidney problems: Texas Children’s Hospital.
- Brain and nerve care: Boston Children’s Hospital.
- Bone and muscle issues: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
- Breathing and lung problems: Texas Children’s Hospital.
- Urinary problems: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
How does the US News Ranking produce the rankings?
The list of the Best Children’s Hospitals for 2023–2024 was made by gathering information from almost 200 hospitals and asking thousands of pediatric doctors across the country. RTI International, a company in North Carolina that does research and advice work, managed both surveys and looked at the answers. Over 100 experts in pediatric medicine helped decide what details to gather and how to understand the information.
Hospitals got ranked based on how good they were in three main areas:
- Clinical outcomes: This means how well patients do after treatments, like surviving tough surgeries, avoiding problems with procedures like kidney biopsies, and stopping infections in the neonatal intensive care unit.
- Coordination of care: This is about how well the hospital organizes everything. For example, if they follow proper hand-washing rules and other best practices, and if they’re working to make sure everyone gets treated fairly no matter who they are,.
- Providing resources for care: This is all about having enough staff, like nurses, and offering programs for different health needs outside the hospital.
Each of these three big areas decided around one-third of how well a hospital did in each type of treatment.
The answers from child health experts made up 10% of how well a hospital did, depending on the treatment. Doctors were asked to pick up to 10 hospitals they believe are best for kids with serious health problems. Over 5,000 doctors shared their opinions this time. Their answers were mixed with those from surveys done in 2022 and 2021.
Standout Performers and Methodology Shifts
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center rose to the No. 1 spot on the Honor Roll for the first time. It’s also leading in the Midwest and Ohio, plus four specialties: cancer, diabetes & endocrinology (tied), neonatology, and urology.
Texas Children’s Hospital is tops in heart surgery, kidney issues, and lung surgery. Boston Children’s Hospital excels in diabetes & hormone problems, stomach & intestinal surgeries, and brain & nerve care. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia shines in bone & muscle care.
Some hospitals got better this year: Duke Children’s Hospital shared the top spot in the Southeast. Rady Children’s Hospital climbed to No. 3, Nationwide Children’s Hospital to No. 5 for heart surgery, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to No. 3 in cancer, and Children’s National Hospital to No. 8 in stomach & intestinal surgeries.
Changes in the ranking method focused less on expert opinions and more on following best practices and being fair and inclusive.
Choose the Top Pediatric Hospitals in the US to Secure Your Child’s Health
To ensure the best care for your child, explore the top-ranked children’s hospitals in the United States and your region. Understand how hospitals are evaluated, focusing on clinical outcomes, care coordination, and resources provided. Take note of standout performers and methodology shifts to make informed decisions about your child’s healthcare. Choose wisely for their well-being.