How the Top 20 US Hospitals Differ Across Major Ranking Sources
Hospital rankings in the United States vary based on the criteria and methodologies applied by different ranking organizations. The most prominent ranking sources include U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, Money Magazine, and the Lown Institute. Each evaluates hospitals with different emphases, which can lead to notable differences in their top 20 hospital lists.
Key Ranking Sources
1. U.S. News & World Report
Criteria: Clinical outcomes (mortality, patient safety), breadth of specialties, structure (resources, nurse staffing), patient experience, and expert opinion.
Methodology: Ranks hospitals nationally based on performance in 15 adult specialties and 20 procedures/conditions. Points are awarded for “High Performing” specialties and procedures, influencing the annual Honor Roll of top 20 hospitals1234.
Recent trends: Increasing weight on objective outcome measures and reducing emphasis on expert opinion, with annual adjustments to reflect evolving care standards567.
2. Newsweek “World’s Best Hospitals”
Criteria: Hospital quality, patient experience, recommendations from peers and medical experts, and key performance indicators.
Methodology: Global ranking with separate national lists. In the U.S., their top three hospitals (Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins) often match those in U.S. News, but the overall list can include more international data and expert polling8910.
Scoring: Utilizes a percentage score for each hospital.
3. Money Magazine
Criteria: Clinical quality, safety indicators, patient satisfaction, transparency, trauma level, and government ratings.
Differences: Often favors some hospitals not appearing in the U.S. News top 20, sometimes ranking regional or community hospitals that excel in these areas11.
4. Lown Institute Hospitals Index
Criteria: Emphasis on social responsibility, equity, inclusivity, health outcomes, value of care, and pay equity.
Unique Focus: Highlights hospitals dedicated to avoiding overtreatment, providing high-value care, and serving disadvantaged communities. This leads to a markedly different top 20, often omitting traditional “flagship” medical centers in favor of regional or safety-net hospitals1213.
How Hospital Lists Differ
Hospital
US News
Newsweek
Money Mag.
Lown Institute
Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Sometimes
Cleveland Clinic (OH)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Sometimes
Johns Hopkins Hospital (MD)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Sometimes
Massachusetts General (MA)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Seldom
Cedars-Sinai (CA)
Yes
Sometimes
Yes
Seldom
Other community/regional (e.g., Inova Fairfax, University of Kansas, Duke Regional)
Rare
Sometimes
Yes
Often
Overlap: Academic medical centers appear consistently at the top across U.S. News and Newsweek, with some overlap in Money Magazine.
Differences: Money Magazine and Lown Institute will often include community, safety-net, or regional hospitals that score highly on transparency, community health, equity, or government ratings—criteria less prominent or absent in U.S. News and Newsweek111213.
Methodological Emphasis: U.S. News is specialty-driven, Newsweek includes international/expert perspectives, Money Magazine relies on a wider variety of quality and financial measures, and Lown prioritizes social responsibility and community impact.
Summary Table: Major Methodology Differences
Source
Clinical Outcomes
Expert Opinion
Patient Experience
Social Equity
Financial Transparency
Specialties Coverage
National/Global
US News
High
Medium/Low
Medium
Low/Medium
Low
Broad (incl. specialties)
National
Newsweek
Medium/High
High
High
Medium
Low
Wide
Both
Money Magazine
Medium
Low
High
Medium
High
General
National
Lown Institute
High
None
Medium
High
Medium/High
General
National
Conclusions
Ranking results can differ widely based on the relative weight assigned to medical outcomes, specialty reputation, patient experience, and social responsibility.
Hospitals consistently ranked at the top by U.S. News and Newsweek may drop or disappear from lists like Money Magazine or Lown Institute, which prioritize different metrics.
Patients and stakeholders should consider which ranking best aligns with their values (e.g., clinical excellence, equity, transparency) when interpreting these lists.
