The top children’s hospitals for cardiology and heart surgery in the US
U.S. News & Report has published its annual ranking of the top children’s hospitals in the United States, once again producing a separate list for the best hospitals for cardiology and heart surgery. This represents the 20th year that U.S. News.& World Report has compiled these rankings.
“For two decades, U.S. News has helped guide families to top-tier pediatric care,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, said in a statement. “Finding the right medical team for a rare diagnosis or complex surgery can be overwhelming, and U.S. News’ annual evaluation of the Best Children’s Hospitals provides a clear starting point for parents and referring pediatricians alike.”
Nearly 200 U.S. facilities were eligible for these rankings. Each one is either a freestanding children’s hospital or a large multidisciplinary pediatric department working within a major medical center.
Texas Children’s Hospital on top yet again
This latest ranking of the Best Children's Hospitals for Cardiology and Heart Surgery includes some familiar names at the top. For instance, Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston is No. 1, just like it was in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Meanwhile, Children’s Hospital Colorado and Duke Children’s Hospital and Health Center are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. That is where each one landed in the previous year’s ranking as well.
Going a bit deeper, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia came in at No. 4, and Children’s Health Dallas came in at No. 5.
The top 25 children’s hospitals for cardiology and heart surgery for 2026-2027:
1. Texas Children's Hospital | Houston, Texas
2. Children's Hospital Colorado | Aurora, Colorado
3. Duke Children's Hospital and Health Center | Durham, North Carolina
4. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Children's Health Dallas | Dallas, Texas
6. MUSC Children's Heart Program of South Carolina | Charleston, South Carolina
7. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | Atlanta, Georgia
8. Boston Children's Hospital | Boston, Massachusetts
9. Dell Children's Medical Center | Austin, Texas (tie)
9. Rady Children's Hospital | San Diego, California (tie)
11. Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital-University of Utah | Salt Lake City, Utah
12. Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital | Houston, Texas
13. UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
14. Cincinnati Children's and Kentucky Children's Hospital Joint Heart Program | Cincinnati, Ohio
15. New York-Presbyterian Children's Hospital-Columbia and Cornell | New York, New York
16. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois
17. UF Health Shands Children's Hospital | Gainesville, Florida
18. Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital | Cleveland, Ohio
19. University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital | Ann Arbor, Michigan
20. Children's Hospital Los Angeles | Los Angeles, California
21. American Family Children’s Hospital | Madison, Wisconsin
22. Levine Children's Hospital | Charlotte, North Carolina
23. Nationwide Children's Hospital | Columbus, Ohio
24. Oklahoma Children’s OU Health | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
25. Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone | New York, New York
Click here for the full list from U.S. News & World Report.
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.