MUSC ranked South Carolina’s No. 1 hospital for 11th consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report

CHARLESTON, S.C. (July 29, 2025) – MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston was named by U.S. News & World Report for the 11th year in a row as the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. USNWR ranks 4,400 hospitals annually, and MUSC is among the top 13% nationally ranked.

MUSC Health’s Obstetrics & Gynecology program ranked No. 16 nationwide, a significant jump from No. 30 last year. Cancer, Neurology & Neurosurgery and Urology were recognized as three “high-performing” specialties 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-five MUSC Health programs are considered “high-performing” procedures or conditions in the 2025-2026 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; Diabetes; Gynecological Cancer Surgery; Heart Arrhythmia; Heart Attack; Heart Bypass Surgery; Heart Failure; Hip Replacement; Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma; Lung Cancer Surgery; Pacemaker Implantation; Prostate Cancer Surgery; and Stroke.

MUSC Health-Midlands Division (Columbia Medical Center Downtown and Northeast): Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair, Heart Arrhythmia, Heart Bypass Surgery, Hip Replacement, Pacemaker Implantation and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

MUSC Health-Pee Dee Division (Florence Medical Center): Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Kidney Failure and Stroke.

“As South Carolina’s only public statewide hospital system, MUSC Health is honored to be recognized as the state’s top hospital for the eleventh consecutive year,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., CEO of MUSC Health and executive vice president for Health Affairs, University. “This achievement reflects the unwavering dedication of our multidisciplinary teams who continually push the boundaries of medical innovation and compassionate care. We remain committed to delivering the highest-quality care to improve health outcomes for all South Carolinians.”

U.S. News & World Report unveiled its 36th edition of the Best Hospitals rankings online. These rankings are designed to help patients with life-threatening or rare conditions to identify hospitals that excel in treating the most difficult cases. Best Hospitals 2025-2026 includes consumer-friendly data. 

The 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 2025-2026

RTI International, a nonprofit research institute that supports the collection and analysis of the U.S. News & World Report data, adjusts criteria and measurements based on feedback from hospital leaders, doctors, nurses and patients This year, RTI’s methodology adjustments included: an increased emphasis on procedures and conditions and patient outcomes, added nursing communication scores and adjusted calculations for Medicare Advantage patients. 

MUSC Health carefully analyzes RTI’s annual methodology changes to assess most accurately the impact these decisions have on its rankings and the quality of patient care provided. By doing so, MUSC Health adapts effectively and maintains its commitment to excellence in health care.

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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 over 3,300 students in six colleges and trains more than 1,060 residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in federal, National Institutes of Health and other research funding. 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 2025, for the 11th 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 $8.2 billion. The nearly 34,000 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.