Best Hospitals in California 2026
California has 378 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $21K. The top-rated hospital is Uc San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med Ctr in San Diego with a 5-star CMS rating.
Top 20 of 378 Hospitals in California
Hospital quality and cost data for California is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and outcome scores, Uc San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med Ctr in San Diego is the top-rated hospital in California with a 5-star quality rating and an average procedure payment of $22K.
California has 378 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $21K.
Hospitals are ranked by CMS star quality rating (1-5 stars) and then by outcome score, which reflects mortality rates and patient safety. The Value Score also factors in cost — so the best hospitals deliver great outcomes at reasonable prices.
Hospitals ranked by CMS star quality rating and outcome score. Value Score: price percentile (40% inverted), quality rating (40%), outcome score (20%).