U.S. News Names 86 Best Children's Hospitals 2025-26

U.S. News & World Report on Oct. 7 released the 2025–26 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings after evaluating data from 118 children’s hospitals across 11 pediatric specialties with RTI International, naming 86 top hospitals including 10 Honor Roll hospitals. The edition includes the second annual pediatric and adolescent behavioral health evaluation; because the methodology is still maturing, U.S. News published an alphabetical Top 50 list for behavioral health rather than ordinal rankings. Children’s National Hospital made the Honor Roll for the ninth straight year and earned top-10 honors in neurology/neurosurgery, cancer, nephrology, orthopedics, and diabetes/endocrinology. In Ohio, Cincinnati Children’s and Nationwide Children’s were named to the national Honor Roll, Cleveland Clinic Children’s and UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s tied for third in the Midwest, and all six Ohio hospitals reviewed placed in the behavioral health Top 50. UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals (Oakland and San Francisco) tied as the best in Northern California, ranked in all 11 specialties with top-10 placements in cancer, newborn specialty care, and gastroenterology, and were one of 21 hospitals ranked across every category.