Overview

• U.S. News released the 2025–2026 Best Hospitals rankings, naming 152 top hospitals, 504 regional leaders and 20 Honor Roll institutions.
• The updated regional methodology introduced in June limits rankings to procedure and condition performance, excluding specialty scores from regional tiers.
• Over 4,400 hospitals were evaluated across 15 specialties and 22 procedures to determine national and specialty-specific rankings.
• Specialty rankings highlighted leaders in fields such as cancer, cardiology and orthopedics, including MD Anderson Cancer Center and NYU Langone Hospitals.
• Multiple rating systems—including CMS Hospital Star Ratings, Leapfrog Group and Lown Institute assessments—underscore ongoing debate over how to capture patient experience and health equity in quality measures.