U.S. News & World Report is out with its latest rankings of the best children’s hospitals in the U.S.
Ninety children’s hospitals made the list for at least one of the 11 pediatric specialties evaluated by U.S. News analysts. Eleven hospitals that excelled in children’s care in all specialties received a special distinction.
Here’s what the 2026-2027 report showed.
Ranking methodology
For the rankings, U.S. News analyzed data from more than 100 children’s hospitals around the nation, assessing freestanding children’s hospitals, pediatric services within hospitals, as well as children’s hospitals focusing on particular medical specialties.
The organization also surveyed 40,000 medical professionals on the subject of the best pediatric hospitals in their fields.
On the final list, 90 hospitals across the nation are recognized by U.S. News as offering exceptional pediatric care. U.S. News also ranked the hospitals in their performance in 11 medical specialties:
Pediatric and adolescent behavioral healthCancerCardiology and heart surgeryDiabetes and endocrinologyGastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgeryNeonatologyNephrologyNeurology and neurosurgeryOrthopedicsPulmonology and lung surgeryUrologyHospital honor roll includes ‘high performing’ hospital in California
U.S. News included an Honor Roll of the best children’s hospitals in the nation. Eleven hospitals across 8 states and Washington D.C. made the Honor Roll for providing “high-performing, multi-specialty pediatric care,” according to the report. They earned the distinction by being highly ranked in numerous specialties.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is the only California hospital on the Honor Roll of best of the best. It ranked as the top children’s hospital in the state. It also tied for No. 1 in the Pacific region out of seven multi-state regions.
The states with the most well-performing children’s hospitals on the list are New York at 10, followed by California and Florida with 9 each.
Broken down by region, and then by state, California children’s hospitals recognized by U.S. News as the best in the nation are:
Sacramento has top children’s hospital
Sacramento is represented with UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
UC Davis Children’s Hospital, 4301 X St., is one of the university’s several care centers.
The hospital also landed within the top 50 nationwide in three medical specialty categories. U.S. News ranked it as 42nd in the nation for neonatology (care of newborn and premature infants), 21st in nephrology (kidney care and treatment), and 36th in orthopedics in partnership with Shriners Children’s Northern California.
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Anne Ewbank is a service journalist and food reporter for The Sacramento Bee. Previously, she worked as a writer and editor for the New York-based travel website Atlas Obscura, where she covered food and culture. A California native, she is a graduate of Occidental College and Yale University.