Top children’s hospitals in 10 specialties: US News

U.S. News & World Report published its 20th annual Best Children’s Hospitals ranking Sept. 15, naming 11 hospitals to its Honor Roll and recognizing dozens of others across its specialty rankings.

U.S. News and RTI International, a North Carolina-based research firm, analyzed clinical data from 114 children’s hospitals nationwide, assessing facilities across structural, process and outcomes measures. The two also surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists and weighed their responses in compiling the rankings. Learn more about the methodology here. 

This year, 91 hospitals were ranked among the top 50 in at least one specialty. 

The top five hospitals in each specialty:

Note: This list excludes the behavioral health specialty rankings. U.S. News does not include ordinal rankings for this specialty, which was added in 2024, as the methodology behind this ranking is still maturing.

Cancer 

1. Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center
2. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
3. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, Tenn.)
4. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
5. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Cardiology and heart surgery 

1. Texas Children’s Hospital (Houston)
2. Children’s Hospital Colorado (Aurora)
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 

Neurology and 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.)

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 

Diabetes and endocrinology

1. Texas Children’s Hospital
2. Cincinnati Children’s
3. UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
4. Boston Children’s Hospital
5. Children’s Hospital Colorado

Gastroenterology and GI surgery

1. Boston Children’s Hospital
2. Cincinnati Children’s
3. Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, Ohio)
4. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
5. Texas Children’s Hospital

Nephrology

1. Boston Children’s Hospital
2. Texas Children’s Hospital
3. Seattle Children’s Hospital
4. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
5. Cincinnati Children’s

Pulmonology and lung surgery

1. Boston Children’s Hospital
2. Texas Children’s Hospital
3. Cincinnati Children’s, Cincinnati
4. UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
5. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Urology

1. Boston Children’s Hospital
2. Texas Children’s Hospital
3. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
4. Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health (Indianapolis)
5. Nationwide Children’s Hospital