Hackensack University Medical Center at Hackensack Meridian Health in Hackensack was named the top hospital in the New York/ New Jersey Metro area and a Top 20 hospital nationally in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Hospitals Honor Roll. Hackensack University Medical Center is the first hospital in New Jersey to be ranked as a Top 20 national hospital in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Hospitals list.
Hackensack University Medical Center is also again the number-one hospital in New Jersey, and the only New Jersey medical facility ranked first in adult and children’s hospital rankings.
“This historic Top 20 national ranking belongs to our team members,” said Robert C. Garrett, chief executive officer, Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest health-care system. “To see their incredible work recognized on a national stage is immensely gratifying. This is a celebration of them, and a promise to our patients that we will never stop reaching higher.”
The hospital is nationally ranked in 10 adult and three pediatric specialties and rated high performing in 23 adult procedures and conditions. Hackensack University Medical Center is a general medical and surgical facility and teaching hospital. The evaluation of Hackensack University Medical Center at Hackensack Meridian Health also includes data from The Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital.
Among its notable accomplishments, Hackensack Meridian Health has the most nationally ranked specialties of any health network in New Jersey; its John Theurer Cancer Center is the best cancer center in New Jersey and among the top 50 cancer centers in the nation, ranked No. 37 in the nation; and Jersey Shore University Medical Center ranked fifth in New Jersey.
Atlantic Health System’s Morristown Medical Center and Overlook Medical Center were ranked in the top three in New Jersey, by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-2026 Best Hospital rankings. Morristown Medical Center ranked second, and Overlook Medical Center was third.
This year, Morristown Medical Center increased its number of national rankings in adult specialties from four to five. Morristown Medical Center’s orthopedics program was again the highest ranked in New Jersey at No. 16. Morristown Medical Center is also the ninth-ranked hospital in the New York Metro area.
Overlook Medical Center has climbed the rankings of New Jersey hospitals to third and came in 14th in the New York Metro area. Overlook was recognized as high-performing in five adult specialties: gastroenterology and GI surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, urology, and geriatrics.
Cooper University Health Care was recognized among the best hospitals in New Jersey and the Philadelphia metropolitan area by U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Hospitals survey. The survey ranks Cooper as seventh in New Jersey and in the Philadelphia Metro area, up from 11th last year, reinforcing its position as the leading academic health system in southern New Jersey.
Cooper was rated high performing — the highest designation awarded by the publication — in 14 adult specialties and conditions.
The Valley Hospital has once again been ranked among the best hospitals in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26. The Paramus-based hospital placed sixth among the top 10. Valley also ranked among the top 25 best hospitals in the New York metropolitan area.
Valley achieved the highest possible rating of “high performing” in 12 adult procedures and conditions, including abdominal aortic aneurysm repair; colon cancer surgery; heart arrhythmia; heart attack; hip fracture; hip replacement; kidney failure; knee replacement; leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma; lung cancer surgery; pacemaker implantation; and stroke. Valley was also recognized as high performing in the adult specialty of urology.
Englewood Health was named a Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-2026, ranking in the top 10 in New Jersey and in the top 25 in the New York metropolitan area.
In addition to its state and regional recognition, Englewood Health was rated as “high performing” in eight procedures and conditions: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, colon cancer surgery, heart arrhythmia, kidney failure, lung cancer surgery, pacemaker implantation, stroke, and transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
“Hospitals designated as ‘High Performing’ by U.S. News demonstrate a consistent ability to provide excellent care for particular medical procedures and conditions, showcasing their specialized expertise as well as dedication to exceptional patient outcomes,” said Managing Editor and Chief of Health Analysis Ben Harder at U.S. News.
To determine the Best Hospitals, U.S. News analyzed each hospital’s performance based on objective measures such as risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications and level of nursing care. The Best Hospitals specialty rankings methodology and procedures and conditions ratings methodology measure patient outcomes using data from over 800 million records of patient care.
