NEW YORK, June 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Newsweek, in partnership with Statista, today announced the America’s Best Children’s Hospitals 2026 ranking, recognizing leading children’s hospitals across eight pediatric specialties and providing families with a trusted resource when seeking specialized care.
Children’s hospitals play a vital role for families facing complex pediatric health needs, often combining advanced medical expertise with compassionate support for children and caregivers. This year’s ranking recognizes 400 hospitals across specialties, with 95 unique hospitals featured.
“Children’s hospitals are a lifeline for families navigating some of the most complex and emotional moments in health care,” said Newsweek Healthcare Editor Lexi Kayser. “This ranking highlights the institutions that are advancing pediatric medicine and delivering specialized care and support systems that kids and their caregivers can depend on.”
The 2026 ranking recognizes the top 50 pediatric hospitals in each of the following fields: Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & Gastrointestinal Surgery, Neonatology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Oncology, Orthopedics and Pulmonology.
Among this year’s Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) winners are Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Children's, Golisano Children's Hospital, Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center, Lerner Children's Pavilion at Hospital for Special Surgery, Mayo Clinic Children's Center and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital.
The ranking is based on metrics that include a nationwide survey of more than 10,000 pediatric medical professionals and hospital managers, hospital quality metrics, patient satisfaction data and PROMs implementation.
The survey, conducted between February and March 2026, asked participants to recommend leading children’s hospitals in their primary and secondary subspecialties. These recommendations determined the reputation score, which accounts for 44% of the overall score.
Hospital quality metrics account for 42% of the overall score and include data from The Leapfrog Group, accreditations, certifications, specialized program enrollments, center designations and CMS staff influenza vaccination data. Patient satisfaction, based on Google reviews, accounts for 7.5%, while PROMs implementation contributes 6.5% of the overall score.
To view the full list of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals 2026 and learn more about the methodology, visit:
https://rankings.newsweek.com/americas-best-childrens-hospitals-2026
About Newsweek
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Broadsheet Communications for Newsweek
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