These are the 10 best hospitals in Illinois, US News & World Report says. See list
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- Northwestern and Rush tied as top Illinois hospitals in 2025 U.S. News rankings.
- Barnes-Jewish led Missouri hospitals, ranking nationally in 11 medical fields.
- U.S. News evaluated 213 Illinois hospitals; 23 met high-performance standards.
A recent ranking from U.S. News & World Report found two Chicago area hospitals tied for the title of best hospital in Illinois, while several St. Louis area facilities cracked the top 10 for Missouri.
The Best Hospitals rankings found Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Rush University Medical Center tied for first place in Illinois, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital was named the best in Missouri.
To calculate its Best Regional Hospitals rankings, which include the state-level reports for Illinois and Missouri, U.S. News evaluated hospitals that offer a full range of medical and surgical services and met performance benchmarks for procedures and conditions. U.S. News evaluated 213 hospitals in Illinois and ranked 23 for meeting high standards.
The top five best-performing hospitals in Missouri were Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Mercy Hospital St. Louis, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Mercy Hospital Springfield and St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield.
Along with its first-place Missouri ranking, Barnes-Jewish Hospital was also nationally ranked in 11 specialties, including cancer treatment, cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, ear, nose and throat, orthopedics and more.
The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization that rates U.S. hospitals’ performance on safety practices and error prevention, gave Barnes-Jewish Hospital a “C” in the spring 2025 grading cycle. Illinois was ranked 20th in the nation for states with the greatest percentage of “A” hospitals, according to Leapfrog.
Top 10 best hospitals in Illinois
Here’s how the top 10 best hospitals in Illinois compared, from U.S. News & World Report:
1-Tie. Northwestern Medicine-Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital also made the U.S. News Best Hospitals Honor Roll, was nationally ranked in 11 specialties, and was named “high performing” in 22 procedures and conditions.
The hospital’s strongest specialties performances were sixth-place rankings in neurology and neurosurgery and obstetrics and gynecology.
“Every day our physicians, nurses and staff demonstrate their commitment to better medicine, better outcomes and better patient care. We are proud to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report Best Hospital rankings as one of the top hospitals in the U.S.,” Dr. Howard Chrisman, president and chief executive officer of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, wrote in an Aug. 7 emailed statement to the News-Democrat.
1-Tie. Rush University Medical Center
Rush University Medical Center also made the U.S. News Best Hospitals Honor Roll, was nationally ranked in 11 specialties and was named “high performing” in 21 procedures and conditions.
The hospital’s strongest specialty performance was fifth-place in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery.
“Our continued success on the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rating — and other external rankings and ratings — speaks volumes about the dedication and clinical excellence exhibited by our entire team,” Dr. Omar Lateef, president and CEO of Rush University System for Health and Rush University Medical Center, wrote in an Aug. 7 emailed statement to the BND.
3. University of Chicago Medical Center
In addition to its No. 3 spot in the Illinois ranking, the University of Chicago Medical Center was also recognized for high performance in specialties. The facility was ranked 12th in the nation for cancer treatment, 20th in the U.S. for gastroenterology and GI surgery and made the top 50 in at least eight other specialties.
“These results show where we’re making meaningful progress and where we have opportunities to strengthen performance across the board,” Dr. Mark Anderson, executive vice president for medical affairs, said in a July 29 press release. “We remain committed to delivering high-quality, innovative care, and we’re grateful to the clinicians, researchers and staff whose dedication drives our academic healthcare mission and our momentum.”
4. Advocate Christ Medical Center
Advocate Christ Medical Center also received several national specialties rankings, including 23rd for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, 42nd for diabetes and endocrinology, 14th for obstetrics and gynecology and more.
The BND has contacted staff with Advocate Health Care for comment.
5. Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals
Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals is nationally ranked in three specialties: 24th for diabetes and endocrinology, 49th for neurology and neurosurgery and 37th for orthopedics. The hospital was also named “high performing” for five adult specialties and 23 procedures and conditions.
“We are proud to be recognized nationally, but even more proud of the commitment our physicians, nurses and care teams show every day in delivering compassionate, high-quality care to our patients and communities,” Dr. Lakshmi Halasyamani, chief clinical officer of Endeavor Health said in an Aug. 13 emailed statement.
6. Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital is nationally ranked in two specialties: 38th for orthopedics and 37th for pulmonology and lung surgery. The hospital was also named high performing for five adult specialties and 19 procedures and conditions.
7. Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital
Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital was named high performing for five adult specialties: geriatrics, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery and urology. In addition to the specialties, Central DuPage Hospital was named high performing for 18 procedures and conditions.
8. Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital
Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital was nationally ranked in four specialties: 39th for diabetes and endocrinology, 46th for geriatrics, 37th for neurology and neurosurgery and 43rd for orthopedics. The hospital was also named high performing for three adult specialties and nine procedures and conditions.
9. Endeavor Health Edward Hospital
Endeavor Health Edward Hospital was named high performing in urology and in 18 procedures and conditions, including lung cancer surgery, heart attacks, kidney failure and more.
10. Northwestern Medicine-McHenry, Huntley, Woodstock Hospitals
Data from three Northwestern Medicine hospitals, McHenry, Huntley and Woodstock, were evaluated together for this ranking. The hospitals were named high performing in geriatrics, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery and urology, as well as in 13 procedures and conditions.
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This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
