hospital honors
Dallas children's hospital declared one of nation's best by U.S. News
Dallas is home to one of the best pediatric hospitals in the Southwest.
Dallas has many renowned hospitals providing exceptional care, and now a local medical center has earned national acclaim for its top-notch healthcare for children and adolescents.
Children's Health Dallas ranks No. 2 among Texas' children's hospitals in U.S. News and World Report's 2026-2027 Best Children's Hospitals. It is also the No. 2 best pediatric hospital in the Southwest region.
Each year, U.S. News surveys more than 100 children's hospitals and thousands of pediatric specialists to determine it's Best Children's Hospitals rankings. The winning hospitals excel at various factors, such as "clinical outcomes, compliance with established best practices, and level and quality of hospital resources directly related to patient care."
Out of the 90 total children's hospitals selected across 34 states and Washington, D.C., only six were based in Texas.
"For two decades, U.S. News has helped guide families to top-tier pediatric care," said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, in a release. “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."
Children's Health Dallas ranked as the No. 1 hospital in the U.S. for pediatric Orthopedics, and it earned top-10 rankings for its pediatric Cardiology and Heart Surgery (No. 5) and Urology (No. 10) specialties.
The hospital also earned top-50 ranks in eight more nationally ranked specialties:
- No. 15 – Neonatology
- No. 17 – Neurology and Neurosurgery
- No. 17 – Cancer
- No. 20 – Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
- No. 22 – Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
- No. 26 – Nephrology
- No. 35 – Diabetes & Endocrinology
- "Top 50" Best Children's Hospitals for Behavioral Health
Elsewhere in North Texas, Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth ranked as the 6th best pediatric hospital in the Southwest. Cook Children's earned top-50 rankings in the following specialties: Diabetes & Endocrinology (No. 36), Cancer (No. 41), Neurology & Neurosurgery (No. 44), Cardiology & Heart Surgery (No. 47), and "Top 50" in Behavioral & Mental Health.
The best children's hospital in Texas
Texas Children's Hospital in Houston reigns as the No. 1 pediatric hospital in the Lone Star State and in the Southwest, and it was the only Texas hospital to be named in U.S. News' national Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll list for 2026-2027.
Texas Children's also leads as the No. 1 best hospital in the U.S. in two pediatric specialties — Cardiology and Heart Surgery, and Diabetes and Endocrinology. It earned top-five acclaim in seven more nationally ranked specialties: Nephrology (No. 2); Pulmonology and Lung Surgery (No. 2); Urology (No. 2); Neurology and Neurosurgery (No. 3); Gastroenterology and GI Surgery (No. 5); Neonatology (No. 5); and Orthopedics (No. 5).
The hospital also ranked as the country's 12th best pediatric cancer hospital, and it's one of the top 50 Best Children's Hospitals for Behavioral Health in the U.S.
Other high-performing Texas pediatric hospitals include MD Anderson's Children's Cancer Hospital and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, and Dell Children's Medical Center in Austin.
