Five California hospitals are among the nation's 20 best, according to the new 2026-2027 Best Hospitals ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.
The annual report, now in its 37th year, is intended to help patients compare hospitals when they need anything from a common procedure, such as a knee replacement, to specialized treatment for a serious or complex illness.
This year, U.S. News also introduced regional specialty rankings for cancer; cardiology, heart and vascular surgery; orthopedics; and rehabilitation, giving patients another way to identify highly rated care closer to home.
Stanford Health Care-Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto ranked No. 9 nationally for cancer. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles ranked No. 4 and Stanford Health Care-Stanford Hospital ranked No. 9 for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ranked No. 5, UCSF Health-UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco ranked No. 6, and Stanford Health Care-Stanford Hospital ranked No. 8 for orthopedics. For rehabilitation, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose ranked No. 8 nationally.
Other California hospitals recognized as the best regional facilities are listed in order highest ranking:
UCSF Health-UCSF Medical Center
Keck Medical Center of USC, Los Angeles
Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Torrance
UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento
Scripps La Jolla Hospitals, La Jolla
Huntington Health Medical Center-Pasadena
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, Santa Monica
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Newport Beach
UC Irvine Medical Center, Orange
Providence St. John's Health Center, Santa Monica
Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego
Sutter Medical Center-Sacramento
Scripps Green Hospital, La Jolla
El Camino Health-Mountain View
Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center
John Muir Health-Concord Medical Center, Concord
Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center
Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage
MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, Long Beach
PIH Health Hospital-Whittier
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, Mission Hills
Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego
California Pacific Medical Center-Van Ness Campus, San Francisco
John Muir Health-Walnut Creek Medical Center, Walnut Creek
Kaiser Permanente Anaheim and Irvine Medical Centers, Anaheim
Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center, Santa Clara
Kaiser Permanente San Diego Zion and San Diego Medical Center
Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center-Oakland
Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center, Thousand Oaks
Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, Burlingame
Adventist Health Glendale, Los Angeles
Kaiser Permanente Oakland & Richmond Medical Centers, Oakland
MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center, Fountain Valley
Providence Mission Hosp.-Mission Viejo & Laguna Beach, Mission Viejo
Providence St. Joseph Hospital-Orange
Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, Downey
Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Santa Rosa
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara
St. Agnes Medical Center, Fresno
Mercy General Hospital, Sacramento
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center-Burbank
Scripps Memorial Hospital-Encinitas
Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey
Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center, Roseville
Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center, San Jose
MarinHealth Medical Center, Greenbrae
Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center, Tarzana
Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance
Sequoia Hospital, Redwood City
Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, Chula Vista
Sutter Roseville Medical Center, Roseville
California Pacific Medical Center-Mission Bernal Campus, San Francisco
Kaiser Permanente Fontana and Ontario Medical Centers, Fontana
Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Ctr., Woodland Hills
MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center, Laguna Hills
St. John's Regional Medical Center, Oxnard
Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital, Santa Rosa
Washington Hospital-Fremont
Community Regional Medical Center, Fresno
Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center, Antioch
Providence St. Jude Medical Center, Fullerton
Sharp Grossmont Hospital, La Mesa
Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz
Enloe Medical Center, Chico
Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center, Sacramento
The 2026-2027 rankings put greater emphasis on risk-adjusted patient outcomes. U.S. News also reduced or eliminated the weight given to several measures involving hospital size, staffing, technology and reputation. The changes were especially significant in cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, where patient outcomes now determine most of a hospital's score.
This year, U.S. News also introduced regional specialty rankings for cancer; cardiology, heart and vascular surgery; orthopedics; and rehabilitation, giving patients another way to identify highly rated care closer to home.