These San Diego Hospitals Are Ranked Among Best For Maternity Care

SAN DIEGO, CA — Where to have a baby is one of the most important decisions San Diego County parents make. To help guide them, U.S. News & World Report has released its 2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.

U.S. News has been evaluating hospitals that provide labor and delivery service since 2021, and this year evaluated a record 901 hospitals.

These public ratings assist expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care providers, in making informed decisions about where to receive maternity care for uncomplicated births.

San Diego is among the metropolitan areas with the greatest number of hospitals on the list.

According to the report, the top maternity hospitals in San Diego are:

• Kaiser Permanente Zion Medical Center, San Diego
• Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, La Jolla
• Scripps Memorial Hospital-Encinitas, Encinitas
• Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego
• Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, Chula Vista
• Sharp Grossmont Hospital, La Mesa
• Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns, San Diego
• UC San Diego Medical Center - Hillcrest, San Diego

The data is based entirely on objective measures of quality, such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, among other measures.

The 2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care ratings also recognize hospitals offering services to underserved communities. Now in its third year, the Maternity Care Access Hospital designation was awarded to 147 hospitals.

These essential hospitals serve communities that would be in danger of becoming maternity care deserts if they were to stop providing crucial maternity care services. Parents-to-be can research their local hospitals’ performance metrics as well as maternity-related programs, services and support at health.usnews.com to help them decide where to give birth.