CHARLESTON, S.C. (Aug. 4, 2026) – MUSC Health has once again achieved best-in-class national and statewide rankings for excellence in patient care at its hospitals, cancer care, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology and neurosurgery among others.
MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston secured the No. 1 hospital ranking in South Carolina from U.S. News & World Report, marking its 12th straight year at the top. Home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in the state, it was also ranked No. 1 in South Carolina for cancer care. The annual rankings assess 4,400 hospitals nationwide, placing MUSC among the top 13% in the United States.
MUSC Health’s Obstetrics and Gynecology program ranked No. 10 nationwide, an increase from No. 16 last year.
Neurology and Neurosurgery is recognized as a “high-performing” specialty ranked among the top 100 in the country. In the U.S. News & World Report rankings, a "high-performing" procedures and conditions designation indicates that a hospital's performance in these specific areas is significantly better than the national average. This recognizes the hospital’s expertise and commitment to high-quality care for these procedures and conditions.
Twenty-four MUSC Health procedures and conditions received “high-performing” designations in the 2026-2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings, represented in the following MUSC Health system divisions:
MUSC Health-Charleston Division (University Medical Center): Aortic Valve Surgery; Back Surgery (Spinal Fusion); Colon Cancer Surgery; Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery; Gynecological Cancer Surgery; Heart Arrhythmia; Heart Attack; Hip Replacement; Knee Replacement; Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma; Lung Cancer Surgery; Pacemaker Implantation; Prostate Cancer Surgery; and Stroke.
MUSC Health-Midlands Division (Columbia Medical Center Downtown and Northeast): Abdominal Aortic Aneurism Repair; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Ear Nose and Throat Surgery; Heart Arrhythmia; Heart Bypass Surgery; Pacemaker Implantation; and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).
MUSC Health-Pee Dee Division (Florence Medical Center): Heart Failure; Pacemaker Implantation; and Stroke.
"This recognition belongs to our dedicated teams across the state who continually strive to improve the lives of those we serve,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., CEO of MUSC Health and executive vice president for Health Affairs, University. “As South Carolina's only public statewide health system, we remain committed to delivering world-class care close to home. Being recognized as the state's top cancer hospital while advancing our future comprehensive cancer hospital reflects our continued investment in transforming cancer care for generations of South Carolinians."
U.S. News & World Report unveiled its 37th edition of the Best Hospitals rankings online. These rankings are designed to help patients with life-threatening or rare conditions identify hospitals that excel in treating the most difficult cases. Best Hospitals 2026-2027 also includes consumer-friendly data to enable patients to make informed decisions about their care.
U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals methodology evaluated each hospital’s performance using a variety of measures, such as survival rates, complication rates, patient experience and level of nursing care. It also factors in data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Hospital Association, professional organizations and medical specialists.
Changes to the methodology for 2026-2027
RTI International, the nonprofit research institute that supports the collection and analysis of the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals data, annually refines its methodology based on feedback from hospital leaders, physicians, nurses and patients. This year, RTI further increased the emphasis on patient outcomes and patient experience.
MUSC Health carefully reviews these updates to understand how they affect its rankings and to ensure its focus remains on delivering the highest-quality patient care. As the methodology continues to prioritize clinical outcomes and the patient experience, MUSC Health remains committed to providing exceptional, evidence-based care that leads to the best possible outcomes for the patients and the communities it serves.
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About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates nearly 3,500 students in six colleges and trains more than 1,175 residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in research funding from the National Institutes of Health, including National Institute of General Medical Sciences COBRE awards. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.
As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2026, for the 12th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.
MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $10.1 billion. The more than 37,130 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research and patient care.
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