Hospital Achieves Honor Roll Designation for Third Consecutive Year
San Diego, Calif. – Oct. 7, 2025 — For the third year in a row, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego has been named by U.S. News & World Report to its 2025-2026 Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll, a distinction awarded to only 10 children’s hospitals in the United States, and named by U.S. News as tied for the No. 1 pediatric hospital in California and the Pacific Region.
Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego merged with Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in January 2025 to create Rady Children’s Health. The hospitals were evaluated separately for this year’s rankings.
Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego had four specialties rank among the top 10 in the nation (Cardiology & Heart Surgery #6; Orthopedics #7; Neonatology #8; and Diabetes & Endocrinology #10) and maintained its nine-year streak of achieving rankings in all specialties surveyed.
Complete 2025–2026 rankings are as follows:
| Cardiology & Heart Surgery | 6 |
| Orthopedics | 7 |
| Neonatology | 8 |
| Diabetes & Endocrinology | 10 |
| Neurology & Neurosurgery | 12 |
| Pulmonology & Lung Surgery | 14 |
| Urology | 14 |
| Cancer | 16 |
| Nephrology | 16 |
| Gastroenterology & GI Surgery | 37 |
| Pediatric & Adolescent Behavioral Health | Top 50 |
The rankings assist parents and caregivers, along with their physicians, in navigating the challenges of choosing the best possible care for children with serious illnesses or complex medical needs.
“I’m incredibly proud that the dedication and excellence our team brings to caring for children and families has been honored once again with Honor Roll recognition by U.S. News & World Report,” said Patrick Frias, MD, Co-President & CEO of Rady Children’s Health. “As we move forward as Rady Children’s Health, this recognition reinforces what parents and caregivers already know, that they have access to exceptional, world-class pediatric care right here in our community.”
For the 2025-2026 rankings, U.S. News, together with RTI International, a North Carolina-based research firm, collected and analyzed data from 118 children’s hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists. Children’s hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, compliance with established best practices, and level and quality of hospital resources directly related to patient care.
“For nearly two decades, U.S. News’ pediatric rankings have served as a guiding resource for parents,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “The hospitals on the U.S. News Honor Roll have earned their place by consistently delivering exceptional outcomes across many specialties. They represent the very best in pediatric medicine.”
The full rankings for the 2025-2026 Best Children’s Hospitals national, regional/state and specialty rankings can be found at USNews.com. For more information, explore #BestChildrensHospitals on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok and X.
Media Contact:
Carlos Delgado
(619) 261-8392
cdelgado@rchsd.org
About Rady Children’s Health
Rady Children’s Health (RCH), the largest pediatric healthcare system in the West, brings together the nationally recognized expertise of Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, both leaders in delivering safe, high-quality, compassionate care. With three hospitals, a growing network of primary and specialty care centers across six counties, and two of the region’s Level 1 pediatric trauma centers, RCH is advancing the health and well-being of children in Southern California through pioneering research, innovative treatments, and family-centered care.
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.