Houston Methodist extends Texas-topping streak in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals rankings

August 4, 2026

Houston hospitals are well represented in an expanded U.S. News & World Report ranking that examines regional specialty care, an area where many local hospitals are investing.

U.S. News and World Report named Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center one of the 20 best hospitals in the country, the sole representative from the Houston metro area and from Texas in the publication’s “Honor Roll” rankings.

It is Methodist’s 15th consecutive year as the No. 1 Texas hospital in the U.S. News ranking.

“This recognition reflects the remarkable dedication of our physicians and employees and their tireless focus on delivering unparalleled care to our patients,” Dr. Marc L. Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist, said in a news release. “While we are honored by this recognition, its true significance lies in what it represents — an unwavering commitment to putting patients first.”

In terms of individual specialties, Houston Methodist Hospital earned top-10 placements in cardiology, heart and surgery; gasterenterology and gastrointestinal surgery; and obstetrics and gynecology. The hospital also ranked in the top 50 nationwide for cancer care, diabetes and endocrinology, geriatrics, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology.

Methodist’s community hospitals also received high rankings both overall and in specialty care. Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital was tied for the No. 3 ranking in Texas overall and was ranked No. 2 in the Houston area. Other Houston Methodist hospitals that earned high marks were the system’s campuses in The Woodlands, Willowbrook and Baytown.

U.S. News expands focus on outpatient care as Houston hospitals expand outward

U.S. News said in its announcement that it increased the statistical weight of several factors in the 2026-2027 rankings, including patient-outcome metrics like survival and complication rates.

Chelsey Wen, senior health data analyst at U.S. News, told the Houston Business Journal that these metrics were weighted to consider what patients are looking for when seeking healthcare. She also noted that specialty rankings include regional focuses because patients seeking care for cancer or cardiovascular diseases might be looking closer to home.

“We are reorienting our perspective a little bit to be able to cater to that regionality of seeking healthcare,” Wen said. “Previous specialty rankings were focused on the nationwide scale.”

Wen also said U.S. News has observed hospitals shifting some procedures to outpatient settings for a while and increased the statistical weight of the outpatient procedure outcomes and complication data in its rankings accordingly.

Leaders at Houston health systems have told the HBJ that outpatient sites, like ambulatory surgery centers, are playing a bigger role as hospitals follow development into Houston’s suburbs. While U.S. News is interested in exploring links between ASCs and health systems, Wen said, it can be challenging to draw direct ties.

“Maybe (the health systems) manage a certain percent (of the ASC) versus owning part of it or investing in it, or maybe some of their physicians work in both facilities,” she said. “Physicians can often work for several different ambulatory facilities, so it’s a complicated web to tie one facility to one health system.”

Houston had 14 “Best Regional Hospitals” in the 2026-2027 rankings, which was fourth in the nation behind New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Houston hospitals rank high in GI surgery, diabetes care

Nearly every specialty that U.S. News tracked has a Houston hospital ranked in the top 50 nationwide — the only exception was rheumatology.

The report found that Houstonians are relatively spoiled for choice in the fields of diabetes and endocrinology, where four Houston Methodist hospitals are nationally ranked, and in gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, where Houston Methodist Hospital is joined by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Methodist Sugar Land and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.

In fact, Baylor St. Luke's also ranks nationally in pulmonology and lung surgery, ophthalmology, neurology and neurosurgery, and gastroenterology.

“Continued recognition for excellence is a testament to the hard work and commitment of St. Luke’s Health physicians, nurses and staff who tirelessly strive to provide outstanding patient care every day,” said Dr. Augusto “Gus” Sepulveda, chief medical officer for the Houston market of CommonSpirit Health, St. Luke’s parent company. “We are immensely proud of our teams and their dedication to delivering the highest standards of healthcare.”

MD Anderson, perhaps as expected, is No. 1 in the nation in the field of cancer care. It is also the No. 6 hospital in the nation for urology, per U.S. News and World Report.

“This ranking is a tremendous honor, and it reflects our unwavering commitment to continue making progress in our mission to end cancer,” Dr. Peter WT Pisters, president of MD Anderson, said in a news release. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who made this recognition possible: our faculty and staff, volunteers, donors, and the patients and families we are honored to serve.

Meanwhile, some hospitals are the sole Houston representatives in their specialties. For instance, Memorial Hermann’s The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, also known as TIRR Memorial Hermann, is ranked No. 4 nationally for rehabilitation care.

“It is an extraordinary honor for TIRR Memorial Hermann to be awarded the top-ranked rehabilitation hospital in Houston and in Texas,” Rhonda Abbott, senior vice president and CEO of TIRR Memorial Hermann, said in a release. "Our team supports every aspect of healing, caring for people and providing families with guidance and resources that extend well beyond discharge. This commitment to lifelong care and outcomes is why patients and families continue to choose trust us to help them on their recovery journey to live the life they love."

The Menninger Clinic also is the only Houston-area hospital ranked for psychiatry.

“Being recognized among the nation’s best psychiatric hospitals is a meaningful reflection of our team’s unwavering commitment to helping patients achieve lasting recovery,” said Armando Colombo, president and CEO of The Menninger Clinic. “Every day, our physicians, nurses, therapists, researchers and support staff work together to provide individualized, evidence-based care for people facing difficult mental health challenges. We are honored by this recognition and remain committed to delivering exceptional care to every patient who walks through our doors.”

U.S. News and World Report also includes a “High Performing” category, which the publication defined as “the highest distinction a hospital can earn for U.S. News’ Best Hospitals Procedures & Conditions ratings.” All Houston-area hospitals that earned at least a “High Performing” rating are listed below. See the full 2026-2027 U.S. News Best Hospitals report here.