Riley Children's Health is proud to be ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report. In 2026-27, we are once again ranked in 11 out of 11 pediatric specialties. We are also recognized as the #1 ranked children's hospital in Indiana.
In addition, our urology (4) and pulmonology (10/tie*) programs are ranked in the top 10 nationally. We have six total programs ranked in the top 25.
For federal fiscal year 2025, the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics is ranked sixth in the nation for NIH research funding, totaling more than $41.6M to support numerous pediatric studies.
Learn more about our nationally ranked specialties:
Learn more about our nationally ranked specialties:
Cancer
Ranked 27th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
- Performed the world's first pediatric bone marrow stem cell transplant using cells from a deceased donor
- Home to the only pediatric stem cell transplant and CAR-T cell therapy programs in Indiana
- Leading sickle cell program distinguished by the nation’s only NIH-funded pediatric telemedicine program for sickle cell disease, designation as Indiana’s only Lifespan Sickle Cell Disease Center of Excellence and membership in the National Alliance of Sickle Cell Centers.
- Among the 10% of Children's Oncology Group members who have early access to clinical trials and new treatments
- One of the few children's hospitals in the nation with a multidisciplinary treatment program for neurofibromatosis
Cardiology & Heart Surgery
Ranked 31st in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
- Ranked among the top 10 in the nation for complex surgical volume
- Riley Heart Center meets the criteria of a "Comprehensive Care Center", a top-tier desgination based on updated pediatric heart surgery national standards
- Among the nation’s leaders in heart transplant outcomes
- Indiana’s only formalized comprehensive adult congenital heart disease program - accredited by the Adult Congenital Heart Association
- One of 11 pediatric centers in the nation accredited as a Pulmonary Hypertension Center of Comprehensive Care
- Pioneer in using the Berlin Heart to manage pediatric heart failture; only Indiana program to offer it
Diabetes & Endocrinology
Ranked 17th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
- One of the first pediatric programs in the Midwest – and first in Indiana - to administer teplizumab, the first FDA-approved preventative treatment for type 1 diabetes
- Only comprehensive care center in the Midwest for congenital adrenal hyperplasia, one of eight Comprehensive Care Centers of Excellence (designated by CARES Foundation)
- Active in clinical and translational research studies for diabetes and endocrine disorders; engaged in clinical trials for therapies designed to modify the course of Type 1 diabetes including TADPOL and Wave T1D
- One of just 18 centers in the world participating in TrialNet, a major research network focused on T1D prevention
Gastroenterology & G.I. Surgery
Ranked 21st in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
- Home to leading multidisciplinary programs spanning intestinal rehabilitation and transplantation, motility, liver disorders and transplantation, IBD, eosinophilic disorders and aerodigestive care.
- Nationally recognized leaders in GI, hepatology and nutrition research, advancing the field through externally funded and NIH-funded basic, translational and clinical research, as well as industry-sponsored clinical trials.
- Enrolled the first pediatric patient in the U.S. in a clinical trial demonstrating the utility of teduglutide as a novel treatment for short bowel syndrome
- A leader in educating and training, offering a transplant hepatology fellowship, advanced nutrition support fellowship, and one of the few in the U.S. to offer a GI psychology fellowship
- Rate of IBD sustained remission is higher than the national average from ImproveCareNow
- Advanced pediatric endoscopy expertise, including minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for complex gastrointestinal disorders
Neonatology
Ranked 17th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
- Expert perinatal genomics program advancing precision medicine in the NICU
- Nationally recognized expertise in neonatal kidney health; leading collaborative networks that shape kidney care standards and advance innovative renal therapies
- Nationally recognized expertise in neonatal kidney health; leading collaborative networks that shape kidney care standards and advance innovative renal therapies
- Specialized multidisciplinary care model that combines neonatology, cardiovascular intensive care and cardiology expertise in daily rounds for newborns with complex congenital heart disease
- Access to leading-edge technologies and therapies, including rapid whole genome sequencing, neonatal continuous renal replacement therapy and an ECMO program designated a Platinum Level Center of Excellence by ELSO
Nephrology
Ranked 11th* in the nation by U.S. News & World Report (*tied with another children's hospital)
- Multidisciplinary Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract (CAKUT) Program; facilitates care for more than 100 patients a year
- Home to the nation's first comprehensive neonatal kidney health program
- Next-level enhancements in inpatient continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) are contributing to improved acute kidney care in the ICU
- A clinical trials leader, enrolling the world's first pediatric participant in PIONEER and the first U.S. patient in EMPA Kidney Kids clinical trial
- Home to a comprehensive multidisciplinary pediatric kidney transplant program
- Launched the BRIDGE program, a novel initiative integrating clinic visits and research, embedding longitudinal patient care with biorepository and registry development
Neurology & Neurosurgery
Ranked 28th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
- One of just four programs in the U.S. to offer mini-laparotomy fetoscopic repair – an innovative, minimally invasive intrauterine surgical technique – for myelomeningocele
- Indiana’s only Level 4 Epilepsy Center (accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers)
- Advanced procedures and offerings including magnetoencephalography (MEG) and stereotacic EEG (sEEG), laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), minimally invasive rhizotomy surgeries, precision genomics, and responsive neurostimulation (RNS) surgery
- One of the few centers in the Midwest to offer a laser ablation program for children with epilepsy and brain tumors
- Indiana's only pediatric facility with a cranial surgery robot
Learn more about our Neurology and Neurosurgery programs
Orthopedics
Ranked 45th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
- Home to a surgeon-scientist-led research program advancing new therapies for pediatric bone tumors and cancer-related muscle loss and body composition changes.
- One of the few facilities in the Midwest to provide casting for infantile or early-onset scoliosis
- Advanced surgical navigation technology, including O-arm imaging, supports precision treatment of scoliosis and hip dysplasia.
- Specialized programs include a Pediatric Orthopedic Oncology Program, Spinal Deformity Program, Cerebral Palsy Program, Pediatric Sports Program, Movement Disorders Program and more
- Specialized gait laboratory informing treatment planning for children with complex neuromuscular and musculoskeletal conditions
Pediatric & Adolescent Behavioral Health
Ranked in the Top 50 by U.S. News & World Report
- Home to Indiana's first Pediatric Medical-Behavioral Health Unit, among the first of its kind in the nation
- Home to Indiana’s only dialectical behavior therapy-informed child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient units
- First institution in the nation to offer all three child psychiatry training programs (fellowship program, triple board program, and post-pediatric portal program)
- Offers continuing education programs, using the Project ECHO model, for primary care providers, K-12 educators, and juvenile justice professionals
- Employs the evidence-based Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) treatment model for reducing suicidaility and improving depression
Learn more about our Child Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences program.
Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, #10*
Ranked 10th* in the nation by U.S. News & World Report (*tied with another children's hospital)
- Only pediatric pulmonary program in the U.S. with a Natinoal Institutes of Health (NIH) program project grant (P01) to develop asthma treatments
- One of the few centers nationally offering ariway epithelial culture for ciliary function analysis, high-speed video microscopy with bead tracking, and PCD immunofluroescense
- One of three programs in the U.S. to be slected as a founding member of the PCD Foundation's Therapeutics Development Network
- A national leader in transitioning pediatric cystic fibrosis patients to adult care, Riley Children's received a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Quality Improvement Award for seeking to minimize patient risk during this critical transition
- A founding member of the Severe Pediatric Asthma Consortium and BPD Collaborative
- One of the largest, highest-volume severe pediatric asthma centers in the nation
Learn more about our Pulmonology program.
Read our Pulmonology Brochure (PDF).
Urology, #4
Ranked 4th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
- One of the largest volume centers to offer pediatric robotic urologic surgery in the U.S.
- Among the U.S. centers with the highest volume of complex reconstructive urologic surgeries
- One of only nine Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Comprehensive Care Centers in the United States. (designated by the CARES Foundation)
- One of 10 bladder exstrophy Centers of Excellence in the nation (designated by the Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community)
- One of the few programs in the nation offering a Transitional Urology Program for pediatric patients with complex urologic conditions as they progress into adulthood.
Voting for U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospitals
Voting for U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospitals
Each year, the national ranking of children’s hospitals and their pediatric specialties is determined by clinical outcomes, efficient coordination of care and care-related resources. In addition, the results from an expert opinion survey contribute to a hospital’s pediatric specialty rankings.
To participate in the 2026 U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals expert opinion survey, review the following information. This year, the survey period is February – March 2026.
Why Vote
Riley Children’s Health has earned national recognition for 18 consecutive years, ranking in all 11 pediatric specialties and standing as the only nationally ranked children’s hospital in Indiana. These rankings are heavily influenced by specialist reputation and reflect the clinical excellence, outcomes, and collaborative care delivered every day.
By voting for Riley Children’s, you help ensure that outstanding pediatric expertise, research, and compassionate care continue to be recognized at a national level.
How to Vote
- When the survey opens, you will be notified via email to complete the survey over a multi-day period. You can access the survey by clicking the link in your email or by signing into your Doximity account. Once there, click the U.S. News “submit your nominations” notification on the homepage.
- When the notification form appears, type the name of each hospital that you consider best in your specialty for children with serious or difficult medical problems. To nominate Riley Children’s Health, enter Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health.
Who Can Vote
Doximity registered physicians who are board-certified in one of the 11 pediatric voting specialties and who claim a Doximity profile prior to the end of the survey period are eligible to vote. See if you are eligible to vote. Physicians who are board-certified and claim a Doximity profile prior to the end of the survey period are eligible to vote.
For additional assistance on voting, contact usnews@doximity.com.
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