Best children’s hospital — 19 years in a row
Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt was named the No. 1 children’s hospital in Tennessee, while sharing the top spot in the Southeast in the 2025-2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.
Middle Tennessee’s only freestanding children’s hospital and comprehensive nonprofit pediatric provider, Monroe Carell has appeared on the list for 19 consecutive years. This year, it ranks nationally in 10 of 11 pediatric specialties, with urology in the top 10.
For the fifth year, it leads the Southeast region, which includes 19 hospitals across nine states. Monroe Carell also achieved its highest national ranking ever at No. 20 overall.
Monroe Carell’s pediatric specialties ranked in the Top 50 are cancer; cardiology and heart surgery; diabetes and endocrinology; gastroenterology and GI surgery; neonatology; nephrology; neurology and neurosurgery; orthopaedics; pulmonology; and urology. Also, this year urology moved into the top 10 in the nation.
Monroe Carell leaps to the Top
Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt was named a 2025 Leapfrog Top Hospital, reaffirming its national leadership in safety and quality for the fourth consecutive year. For 2025, Monroe Carell was one of only 15 children’s hospitals nationwide to earn this distinction.
Leapfrog has recognized Top Hospitals since 2006, and this marks Monroe Carell’s ninth time receiving the honor.
Leapfrog advocates for transparency and excellence in hospital safety and quality. Its Top Hospital designation is based on rigorous standards measured through the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey.
The 2025 Leapfrog Top Hospitals list includes 156 hospitals: 15 children’s, 52 general, 16 rural, and 73 teaching hospitals. More than 2,400 hospitals were considered.