The 5 Best Children's Hospitals on the West Coast

US News and World Report recently released its Children's Hospital Rankings for 2020-21.  These rankings were based on an evaluation of a hospital's performance in ten children's medical specialties: (i) cancer, (ii) cardiology and heart surgery, (iii) diabetes and endocrinology, (iv) gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, (v) nephrology, (vi) neonatology, (vii) neurology and neurosurgery, (viii) orthopedics, (ix) pulmonology, and (x) urology.  The methodology employed to develop these rankings is discussed in more detail here.  Based on this analysis, 88 hospitals across the country earned a top 50 national ranking in at least one pediatric specialty, including 13 children's hospitals on the West Coast.  Remarkably, five West Coast hospitals earned top 50 national recognition in all ten pediatric specialties studied, and two of those institutions earned distinction as being rated among the ten highest ranked children's hospital in the United States.  Here's a quick look at these 5 Best Children's Hospitals on the West Coast and the pediatric specialty areas in which they excel:

Children's Hospital Los Angeles (#5 overall nationally)

Location: Los Angeles

Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 10 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#5   Cancer
#3   Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#8   Diabetes & Endocrinology
#6   Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#15 Nephrology
#2   Neonatology
#9   Neurology & Neurosurgery
#4   Orthopedics
#12 Pulmonology
#13 Urology

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford (#10 overall nationally)

Location: Palo Alto, CA
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 10 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#16 Cancer
#20 Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#9   Diabetes & Endocrinology
#13 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#4   Nephrology
#3   Neonatology
#8   Neurology & Neurosurgery
#31 Orthopedics
#7   Pulmonology
#19 Urology

Seattle Children's Hospital

Location: Seattle
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 10 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#11 Cancer
#16 Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#21 Diabetes & Endocrinology
#12 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#2   Nephrology
#24 Neonatology
#23 Neurology & Neurosurgery
#14 Orthopedics
#10 Pulmonology
#9   Urology

Rady Children's Hospital

Location: San Diego
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 10 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#32 Cancer
#21 Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#14 Diabetes & Endocrinology
#30 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#18 Nephrology
#4   Neonatology
#16 Neurology & Neurosurgery
#7   Orthopedics
#18 Pulmonology
#12 Urology

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital

Location: San Francisco
Nationally Ranked Pediatric Specialties: 10 of 10 
Pediatric Specialties Ranked in Top 50 Nationally:
#15 Cancer
#30 Cardiology & Heart Surgery
#20 Diabetes & Endocrinology
#33 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#23 Nephrology
#18 Neonatology
#15 Neurology & Neurosurgery
#49 Orthopedics
#40 Pulmonology
#16 Urology

To find other children's hospitals on the West Coast and elsewhere, visit our U.S. Children's Hospitals resource page.