These NJ Children’s Hospitals Ranked Among The Nation’s Best

NEW JERSEY— Two children’s hospitals in New Jersey 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.

New Jersey 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.

The top pediatric hospitals in NJ are:

Hackensack Meridian Health JM Sanzari and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospitals

Nationally Ranked: Top 50 in Pediatric & Adolescent Behavioral Health

Hackensack Meridian Health JM Sanzari and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospitals at 30 Prospect Ave. received strong ratings across several areas of pediatric and adolescent behavioral health care. The hospital was rated excellent for medication safety screening, patient volume, clinical support services, specialized clinics and programs, emergency and urgent behavioral health care, and full-time subspecialists.

The hospital also has Magnet recognition for nursing, reflecting high nursing standards. Its behavioral health services include specialized programs and access to professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, developmental-behavioral pediatricians, and adolescent medicine specialists.

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Nationally Ranked: Top 50 in Pediatric & Adolescent Behavioral Health

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at 200 Somerset Street in New Brunswick demonstrated strong performance across behavioral health programs, staffing, patient support and quality improvement.

The hospital stands out for its strong family-support services, quality-improvement efforts, clinical research involvement, and comprehensive behavioral health programs. It also received excellent ratings for staffing, specialized services, emergency care, and patient and family engagement.

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.