Best Hospitals in Minnesota 2026
Minnesota has 136 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $15K. The top-rated hospital is Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester in Rochester with a 5-star CMS rating.
Sorted by average Medicare payment, Minnesota's 136 hospitals span from $9,914 (M Health Fairview University Of Mn Medical Center) at the low end to $21,182 (Allina Health Faribault Medical Center) at the high end. Within-state cost spread on hospital procedures is consistently wide across the U.S.
These rankings are pure-cost rankings. The quality dimension lives in the CMS Hospital Compare star rating shown alongside each entry; the combined-value grade on the right of the table aggregates both. For patients comparing hospital costs, the ranking is a useful first cut, but the procedure-specific page is the better tool: cost spreads vary by DRG code, and the all-procedure average can hide important per-procedure differences.
Across Minnesota's 136 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $15K, below the national average of $16K. 20% ofMinnesota's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 27% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in Minnesota range from M Health Fairview University Of Mn Medical Center at $10K per procedure to Allina Health Faribault Medical Center at $21K — a difference of $11K on the same kinds of inpatient stays. Where you go for the same procedure can swing the bill by more than the procedure itself.
All numbers come from the latest CMS Hospital Compare release, which uses Medicare claims data and only reflects payments for Medicare inpatient stays — not what private insurers or self-pay patients actually pay. Star ratings combine seven groups of measures including mortality, patient safety, readmissions, and patient experience. Lower-priced hospitals can still earn an A on the Value Score if their quality stays competitive.
Top 3 Hospitals in Minnesota
Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester
Rochester, MN
Minnesota's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $18K per procedure. Outcome score: 100/100.
Mayo Clinic Health System - Mankato
Mankato, MN
Second-best in Minnesota. 5-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 78/100. Average procedure payment: $14K.
Mayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea And Austin
Albert Lea, MN
Third on quality + outcomes. 5-star CMS rating; Value Score 88/100. Lists 8 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 136 Hospitals in Minnesota
Hospital quality and cost data for Minnesota is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester in Rochester is the top-rated hospital in Minnesota with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $18K. Its Value Score is 82/100 (Grade A).
Minnesota has 136 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $15K, and 27% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
Minnesota's average procedure payment of $15K is below the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $10K at M Health Fairview University Of Mn Medical Center to $21K at Allina Health Faribault Medical Center — a gap of $11K per procedure.
Of 136 hospitals analyzed in Minnesota, 27 (20%) earn a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or better. CMS star ratings combine measures of mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience, timeliness, and effectiveness of care.
Hospitals are ranked first by CMS star quality rating (1-5 stars), then by outcome score, which reflects mortality rates, patient safety, and readmissions. The Value Score combines price percentile (40%, lower price = higher score), quality rating (40%), and outcome score (20%).
Hospitals ranked by CMS star quality rating and outcome score. Value Score: price percentile (40% inverted), quality rating (40%), outcome score (20%).