UCSF Health Ranks #1 in California and Among the Nation's Best

No. 1 Adult Hospital in California (tied) and No. 2 Nationwide in Neurology/Neurosurgery and Geriatric Care, According to U.S. News & World Report

UCSF Health-UCSF Medical Center* has again been named to the national Honor Roll in U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 Best Hospitals rankings for adult care, a distinction earned by only 20 medical centers nationwide and four in California.

It tied as the No. 1 hospital in California and ranked best in the state for cancer, geriatrics, neurology and neurosurgery, pulmonology and rheumatology.

Nationwide, UCSF Health was listed among the top 10 programs in seven adult areas: cancer, geriatrics, neurology and neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pulmonology and rheumatology. Additional high rankings include ear, nose and throat; gastroenterology; cardiology; and obstetrics and gynecology.

"UCSF Health is dedicated to caring for all patients, of all needs and backgrounds. This commitment is only possible because of our remarkable community," said Suresh Gunasekaran, president and chief executive officer of UCSF Health. "These rankings are a testament to the contributions of every single person across our organization. Their work is what makes me confident in our continued ability to treat the most challenging conditions, and ensure that such compassionate, effective care is accessible to everyone."

The annual Best Hospitals report, released July 29, helps patients and their physicians determine which hospitals provide the best care for the most complex cases. Of the more than 4,400 hospitals evaluated this year, only 3.6% earned one or more top-50 rankings in a medical specialty. UCSF Health received 13 such designations.

"This recognition is a tribute to the hard work of our clinical teams and their collaborations with scientists to constantly advance care for patients with the most challenging conditions," said UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS. "It is through their collective efforts that UCSF is consistently recognized as one of the best places in the nation for specialty care."

This is the 29th consecutive year that UCSF has ranked among the top medical centers for neurology and neurosurgery, which are specialties within the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. It was also the top-ranked hospital in Northern California for gastroenterology and GI surgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics and urology, and the best hospital overall in the San Francisco metro area.

UCSF Health was also ranked "high-performing" – the highest category – in 21 adult procedures and conditions, including diabetes, heart attacks, prostate cancer surgery, colon cancer surgery, hip replacement and knee replacement.

All five medical centers in the University of California health system – at UCSF, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Davis and UC Irvine – were recognized among California's most distinguished hospitals.

UCSF Health is consistently cited among the country's leaders in quality and safety by health care's most highly regarded rating systems. These include The Leapfrog Group's Top Hospital award, as well as Leapfrog's "A" grade, its highest rating, for safety. UCSF Health hospitals have also received a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for quality of care, and are listed among top academic medical centers for quality and safety by the health care performance improvement company Vizient, Inc. They have received the gold standard "magnet recognition" in nursing excellence for more than a decade.

* U.S. News & World Report evaluates UCSF Medical Center for its UCSF Health adult rankings.

UCSF Health adult rankings and recognition (U.S. News & World Report, 2025-2026)

Nationwide, Best Hospitals Honor Roll
#1 (tied) in California
#1 San Francisco Metro Area

Top 10 nationwide (national rank shown)

#2 Neurology & Neurosurgery – Best in the West
#2 Geriatric Care – Best in the West
#3 Pulmonology & Lung Surgery – Best in the West
#6 Orthopedics – Best in Northern California
#7 Cancer – Best in California
#7 Rheumatology – Best in the West
#10 (tie) Ophthalmology – Best in Northern California

Among the nation's best (national rank shown)

#15 (tie) Diabetes & Endocrine Disorders – Best in the San Francisco Metro Area
#15 (tie) Urology – Best in Northern California
#16 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery – Best in Northern California
#17 (tie) Ear, Nose & Throat – Best in the San Francisco Metro Area
#22 Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery – Best in the San Francisco Metro Area
#25 Obstetrics & Gynecology – Best in the San Francisco Metro Area
Psychiatry – High Performing (top 10% nationwide)

High-performing procedures and conditions

Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
Aortic valve surgery
Back surgery (spinal fusion)
COPD
Colon cancer surgery
Diabetes
Gynecological cancer surgery
Heart arrhythmia
Heart attack
Heart failure
Hip fracture
Hip replacement
Kidney failure
Knee replacement
Leukemia, lymphoma & myeloma
Lung cancer surgery
Maternity care (uncomplicated pregnancy)
Pacemaker implantation
Pneumonia
Prostate cancer surgery
Stroke