Best Children’s Hospitals
Children’s Mercy is again nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report
Best Children’s Hospitals
Children’s Mercy is again nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report
Last updated: July 9, 2026
At Children’s Mercy, we’re proud to once again be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Best Children’s Hospitals in the country. This honor reflects the trust families place in us and the dedication of our care teams to delivering expert, compassionate care — every single day. As a leading independent, nonprofit children’s health organization, Children’s Mercy provides expert pediatric care for families across Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas, the surrounding region, nationwide and worldwide. In the latest 2025 to 2026 rankings, Children’s Mercy earned Top 50 recognition in 9 pediatric specialties, including Top 25 national rankings in nephrology and neurology and neurosurgery.
For families, rankings are one signal of quality. What matters most is the care behind them. At Children’s Mercy, our teams are dedicated to compassionate, family-centered pediatric care, breakthrough research, and better outcomes for kids. Whether a child needs routine care or highly specialized treatment, families can find children’s health care designed just for kids.
2025–2026 U.S. News pediatric specialty rankings
- Nephrology: #14 nationally
- Neurology & Neurosurgery: #23 nationally
- Urology: #26 nationally
- Cardiology & Heart Surgery: #30 nationally
- Gastroenterology & GI Surgery: #33 nationally
- Diabetes & Endocrinology: #36 nationally
- Neonatology: #40 nationally
- Pulmonology & Lung Surgery: #46 nationally
- Behavioral Health: Top 50 nationally
How U.S. News determines rankings: U.S. News evaluates pediatric hospitals using clinical and operational data, including factors such as survival rates, patient safety, infection prevention, nurse staffing and specialty reputation surveys.
Why families choose Children’s Mercy
Children’s Mercy is a nonprofit pediatric hospital and a leading independent children’s health organization. Our mission is to improve the health, wellbeing and potential of children through expert care, research, education and innovation. Community support helps make that mission possible and helps us care for children.
Pediatric care designed just for kids.
Specialists trained in the unique needs and development of children.
A focus on family-centered care and emotional support.
Innovative treatments backed by research and compassion.
These rankings are proof of our families’ confidence in choosing Children’s Mercy. But for us, it’s not about the accolades or the numbers — it’s about making a difference in the lives of children and families across our region and beyond.
Frequently asked questions about Children’s Mercy
Yes. Children’s Mercy is a nonprofit pediatric hospital and a leading independent children’s health organization.
In the 2025–2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospitals rankings, Children’s Mercy earned Top 50 recognition in 9 pediatric specialties. Two programs ranked in the national Top 25: nephrology at #14 and neurology & neurosurgery at #23. Behavioral Health also earned Top 50 recognition.
Children’s Mercy is based in Kansas City and serves families across the Kansas City region, with outpatient clinics and urgent care centers across Kansas and Missouri.
U.S. News evaluates pediatric hospitals using clinical and operational data such as survival rates, patient safety, infection prevention, and nurse staffing, along with specialty reputation surveys from pediatric specialists.
Yes. Children’s Mercy states that families can find support for both routine care and highly specialized treatment, from newborns to teens.
Our pediatric experts
Learn more about our nationally ranked specialties and why they’re recognized among the top children’s programs in the country:
The Ward Family Heart Center at Children's Mercy Kansas City is one of the higher-volume pediatric heart centers in the nation. Our heart-surgery survival rates are frequently above the national average.
We care for the developmental, psychiatric and psychological needs of children and teens, providing services that lead to healthier children and stronger families.
Our diabetes program was the first in the country to be certified by the American Diabetes Association and serves more than 1,600 patients.
Our experienced staff utilizes an integrative approach to treating a full range of treatment for intestinal, liver and nutritional disorders.
Children's Mercy is a longstanding leader in neonatal research, with focused expertise in chronic lung disease. We're also one of the first freestanding children's hospitals in the country to provide on-site delivery service for infants born with complex anomalies.
We are the largest and most experienced pediatric nephrology program in the region, with kidney transplant outcomes that exceed the national average.
We provide innovative solutions to care for your child, like our Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, one of only twelve pediatric epilepsy centers in the nation.
We lead the region in providing specialized care for children with conditions affecting the central nervous system, spinal cord, nerves and muscles.
We provide comprehensive care for patients with cystic fibrosis, sleep and pediatric respiratory disorders. We also provide the only pediatric sleep program in the region.
Our urologic surgery staff manages complex congenital anomalies that require extensive training and experience to treat successfully.
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