2 FL Children’s Hospitals Ranked Among Nation’s Best by U.S. News

Two children’s hospitals in Florida have been named among the best in the country in a new U.S. News & World Report ranking released Tuesday.

U.S. News & World Report recognized 90 children’s hospitals in 34 states and Washington, D.C., in its 2026-2027 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.

This is the 20th year the publication has published the rankings to guide parents, their children’s doctors, and caregivers in navigating a complex web of pediatric care choices for children with serious illnesses and rare conditions. Florida families don’t always have those choices in their hometowns, and the rankings are intended to help them identify the best pediatric care options in their regions and the state.

U.S. News evaluated 114 hospitals across 11 specialties, looking at patient outcomes, medical practices and the resources available to care for children. The rankings also drew on surveys of thousands of pediatric specialists. The final report recognizes 90 children’s hospitals in 34 states and Washington, D.C.

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospitals in St. Petersburg took the No. 31 spot nationally, while Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami came in at No. 47.

Here are the top pediatric hospitals ranked in Florida:

• No. 1 - Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospitals, St. Petersburg (No. 31 nationally) and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami (No. 47 nationally)
• No. 3 - Orlando Health Children’s Arnold Palmer Hospital, Orlando
• No. 3 - UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, Gainesville
• No. 5 - Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital at Memorial, Hollywood
• No. 6 - Nemours Children’s Hospital-Florida, Orlando
• No. 6 - Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Jacksonville
• No. 8 - Holtz Children’s Hospital at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center, Miami
• No. 9 - AdventHealth for Children, Orlando

By specialty, the top hospitals in Florida are:

Neonatology

• Orlando Health Children’s Arnold Palmer Hospital, Orlando (No. 28 nationally)
• AdventHealth for Children, Orlando (No. 33 nationally)
• Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital at Memorial, Hollywood (No. 36 nationally)
• UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, Gainesville (No. 49 nationally)

Pediatric Cancer

• UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, Gainesville (No. 35 nationally)
• Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami (No. 48 nationally)

Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery

• UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, Gainesville (No. 17 nationally)
• Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg (No. 45 nationally)
• Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami (No. 48 nationally)

Pediatric Diabetes & Endocrinology

• Nemours Children’s Hospital-Florida, Orlando (No. 16 nationally)
• Orlando Health Children’s Arnold Palmer Hospital, Orlando (No. 18 nationally)
• Holtz Children’s Hospital at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center, Miami (No. 19 nationally)
• UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, Gainesville (No. 32 nationally)
• Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg (No. 34 nationally)
• Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Jacksonville (No. 50 nationally)

Pediatric Gastroenterology & GI Surgery

• AdventHealth for Children, Orlando (No. 43 nationally)
• Holtz Children’s Hospital at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center, Miami (No. 47 nationally)

Pediatric Nephrology

• Holtz Children’s Hospital at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center, Miami (No. 39 nationally)
• Orlando Health Children’s Arnold Palmer Hospital, Orlando (No. 42 nationally)
• Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital at Memorial, Hollywood (No. 45 nationally)
• Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg (No. 47 nationally)

Pediatric Neurology & Neurosurgery

• Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami (No. 21 nationally)
• Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg (No. 23 nationally)
• UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, Gainesville (No. 33 nationally)
• Orlando Health Children’s Arnold Palmer Hospital, Orlando (No. 37 nationally)
• Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Jacksonville (No. 41 nationally)

Pediatric Orthopedics

• Nemours Children’s Hospital-Florida, Orlando (No. 18 nationally)
• Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital at Memorial, Hollywood (No. 19 nationally)
• Orlando Health Children’s Arnold Palmer Hospital, Orlando (No. 24 nationally)
• Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg (No. 29 nationally)
• Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami (No. 30 nationally)
• Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Jacksonville (No. 46 nationally)

Pediatric Pulmonology & Lung Surgery

• Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg (No. 31 nationally)
• UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, Gainesville (No. 34 nationally)
• Orlando Health Children’s Arnold Palmer Hospital, Orlando (No. 42 nationally)
• Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami (No. 43 nationally)
• Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital at Memorial, Hollywood (No. 49 nationally)

Pediatric Urology

• Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg (No. 38 nationally)
• Nemours Children’s Hospital-Florida, Orlando (No. 42 nationally)
• Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami (No. 47 nationally)
• Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Jacksonville (No. 49 nationally)

Eleven hospitals made the Honor Roll for strong performance across multiple specialties: Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Children’s National Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Texas Children’s Hospital, and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s ranked first for pediatric cancer; Texas Children’s for cardiology and heart surgery; Boston Children’s for neonatology and neurology and neurosurgery; and Children’s Health Dallas-Scottish Rite for Children for orthopedics.