Six University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital specialties are listed in the U.S. News & World Report 2025-26 rankings of “Best Children’s Hospitals.”

Story and photography: UI Health Care Marketing and Communications
Published: Oct. 7, 2025
 

University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital is once again ranked the state’s No. 1 children’s hospital and No. 12 in the Midwest region in the 2025-26 “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings published by U.S. News & World Report.

In the same rankings, Stead Family Children’s Hospital — Iowa’s only nationally ranked children’s hospital — was honored in six categories: 

The “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings also include state and multistate regional rankings. Stead Family Children’s Hospital ranks as the No. 1 children’s hospital in Iowa and No. 12 in the Midwest region, defined by U.S. News as Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

“Receiving such high, national recognition for our children’s hospital speaks to the culture and impact of our incredible pediatric care teams who are dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of our youngest patients through both clinical and research excellence,” says Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH, UI vice president for medical affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Carver College of Medicine. “Our entire institution can be proud of how we invest in the future of Iowa and beyond by caring for the next generation.”

Stead Family Children’s Hospital has been ranked every year since U.S. News launched the children’s hospital rankings in 2007.

“The continued recognition of our children’s hospital as a leader in pediatric health care is a testament to the skill and compassion of our care teams and the difference they’ve made in the lives of countless young Iowans,” says Jim Leste, MS, FACHE, chief administrative officer of Stead Family Children’s Hospital. “Parents can trust that when their family needs us, we will provide them with the excellent care they’ve come to expect.”

The “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings, now in their 19th year, are designed to assist families and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive specialized pediatric care.

“Families place their trust in us to guide them through every health challenge with compassion, expertise, and hope. These rankings affirm our commitment to improving children's health — through world-class clinical care, pioneering research that leads to new cures and insights, and the education of future pediatricians and pediatric scientists,” says Alexander Bassuk, MD, PhD, physician-in-chief of Stead Family Children’s Hospital and chair and departmental executive officer of the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics in the UI Carver College of Medicine.

The methodology for compiling these rankings includes clinical outcomes, such as patient survival, infection rates, and complications; the level and quality of hospital resources related to patient care, such as staffing, technology, and special services; delivery of health care, such as programs that prevent infections and adherence to best practices; and expert opinion among pediatric specialists.