US News & World Report has named 11 hospitals to its 2026-2027 Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll, with two organizations joining the group this year.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh are new additions to the Honor Roll. Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, which appeared on the previous list, is no longer included.
The changes come as US News marks the 20th edition of its pediatric hospital rankings. This year, 90 children’s hospitals across 34 states and Washington, D.C., received recognition in at least one category.
The study analyzed clinical data from 114 children’s hospitals. US News and research firm RTI International also collected feedback from pediatric specialists.
The Honor Roll recognizes hospitals that perform strongly across several areas of pediatric care. The hospitals are listed alphabetically rather than ranked from first to last.
For healthcare leaders, physicians and families, the specialty rankings provide more detail on where individual hospitals perform strongly and where specialist care is concentrated.
Boston Children’s strength shows why specialty rankings matter
Boston Children’s Hospital recorded the strongest specialty performance in the latest rankings.
It ranked No. 1 in seven of the 10 pediatric specialties that US News ranks numerically. These include neonatology and neurology and neurosurgery.
Its cancer program, Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, also ranked first for pediatric cancer.
Other hospitals led specific fields.
Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston ranked first for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery, as well as diabetes and endocrinology. Children’s Health Dallas-Scottish Rite for Children ranked No. 1 in pediatric orthopedics.
Those results show why an overall Honor Roll designation gives only one view of hospital performance.
A family seeking treatment for a complex heart condition may have different needs from one looking for specialist orthopedic or cancer care. Referral decisions can therefore depend more on the strength of a particular department than on a hospital’s overall standing.
The rankings also include pediatric and adolescent behavioral health. US News describes its latest study as evaluating 11 pediatric specialties overall. Behavioral health, however, is presented differently from the 10 specialties that receive numerical hospital rankings.
This is the third year that behavioral health programs have been included in the evaluation.
That shift reflects a broader approach to assessing pediatric care. Specialist treatment is now considered alongside a wider range of services for children with complex physical and behavioral health needs.
The rankings increasingly measure more than reputation
Hospital rankings often attract attention because of their names and positions, but the US News methodology relies on more than physician reputation.
US News and RTI assessed clinical data from 114 hospitals for the 2026-2027 study. Hospitals considered for the rankings include freestanding children’s hospitals, pediatric services operating independently within larger medical centers and specialist hospitals.
The evaluation considers patient outcomes, compliance with established care practices and hospital resources related to patient treatment.
Physician surveys are also part of the process.
For hospital executives, that means performance depends on clinical results and operating systems as well as recognition among specialists.
Resources such as staffing and specialist services can affect how well a hospital is equipped to manage rare or complex cases. Measures tied to clinical practice and outcomes then show how that capacity translates into care.
The rankings also have limits.
Not every eligible children’s hospital submitted enough information for consideration. The rankings combine several measures into specialty scores, so a single position cannot describe every aspect of clinical quality or patient experience.
For providers, the underlying measures may therefore be as useful as the final ranking.
A change in specialty performance can point to areas where clinical investment, recruitment or care processes are having an effect. It can also show where peer organizations are building deeper specialist capability.
Regional leaders show why location remains part of the care equation
The national rankings receive much of the attention, but US News also identifies leading hospitals by region.
Boston Children’s Hospital led New England, while Texas Children’s Hospital led the Southwest. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta ranked first in the Southeast, and Children’s Hospital Colorado led the Rocky Mountain region.
There were ties in other regions.
Lurie Children’s, Cincinnati Children’s and Nationwide Children’s Hospital shared the No. 1 position in the Midwest. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Children’s National Hospital and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh shared the top Mid-Atlantic position.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Seattle Children’s Hospital tied for first in the Pacific region.
These regional results add another layer to the national picture.
Children with serious or rare conditions may need care at large specialist centers, but distance can affect access. Repeated appointments, long hospital stays and follow-up treatment can make location an important part of care planning.
For health systems, strong regional performance can also affect referral relationships. Hospitals that build expertise across several pediatric specialties may draw patients from a wider area and strengthen their role as referral centers for complex cases.
The arrival of Lurie Children’s and UPMC Children’s on the Honor Roll adds two names to the small group recognized for broad pediatric performance.
The wider rankings, however, show a more detailed picture. Specialty strength varies between hospitals, while regional rankings show where specialist pediatric capacity is concentrated.
For providers assessing their own position, that makes the individual measures behind the rankings at least as important as the headline list.
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