Magnet Hospitals by State: Complete Rankings and State-by-State List
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Magnet designation is the highest credential a hospital can earn for nursing excellence. Knowing where Magnet hospitals are concentrated matters, whether you’re a nurse evaluating a job opportunity, a patient choosing a facility or a nurse leader benchmarking your organization.
Benedictine University’s online Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) program prepares nurses for the advanced nursing leadership roles that Magnet hospitals actively seek. The Master’s Degree Program in Nursing at Benedictine University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. This guide covers the current state of Magnet designation in the U.S., supported by the latest available data from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
What Is a Magnet Hospital?
A Magnet hospital is a healthcare organization recognized by ANCC’s Magnet Recognition Program for nursing excellence, quality patient care and innovation in professional nursing practice. Magnet hospitals demonstrate better nurse job satisfaction, lower registered nurse (RN) turnover, improved clinical outcomes and higher patient satisfaction than non-Magnet facilities, according to data from ANCC. The ANCC organizes its evaluation criteria into five components known as the ANCC Magnet Model
- Transformational leadership
- Structural empowerment
- Exemplary professional practice
- New knowledge and innovation
- Empirical quality results
A hospital must demonstrate measurable strength across all five to earn or renew designation, which is why the credential functions as a reliable indicator of a strong nursing environment rather than a marketing label. For a detailed breakdown of the characteristics that define Magnet organizations, see 14 Characteristics of Magnet Hospitals.
How Many Magnet Hospitals Are There?
According to ANCC’s live Magnet database, 690 hospitals worldwide held Magnet designation in 2026, up significantly from the 406 reported in earlier years. About 10.8% of U.S. hospitals hold Magnet designation, making it an elite credential in healthcare.
In 2022, ANCC introduced the Magnet with Distinction designation, a higher tier that recognizes hospitals exceeding standard Magnet scoring thresholds. According to Becker’s Hospital Review, 96 hospitals in the U.S. and one in Saudi Arabia have achieved this top-tier designation.
Which State Has the Most Magnet Hospitals?
ANCC doesn’t publish an official state-by-state ranking. What’s documented is that Illinois has 53 Magnet-designated hospitals, according to the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA), which describes the state as “one of the top states” for Magnet designation rather than claiming the national lead outright.
State comparisons are hard to pin down since ANCC designates individual hospitals, not entire health systems, and its database is built for hospital-by-hospital lookup rather than state totals. Nurses or hospital leaders who want a specific state’s total can search the ANCC’s Magnet database directly and count entries by location.
Hospitals With 5+ Magnet Designations
Magnet designation must be renewed every four years. Sustaining that status across multiple redesignation cycles means demonstrating continuous performance, not a one-time achievement. According to Becker’s Hospital Review, ANCC recognizes 136 hospitals worldwide with five or more Magnet designations.
An even smaller group has gone further still. In January 2026, six hospitals nationwide, including the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, the first hospital ever awarded Magnet status, have earned seven consecutive designations, the most of any hospital in the country.
Magnet With Distinction Hospitals
ANCC’s Magnet with Distinction program, launched in 2022, recognizes 96 U.S. hospitals and one in Saudi Arabia that have exceeded standard Magnet scoring thresholds. To earn this designation, a hospital must demonstrate no deficiencies in any Magnet component and achieve exemplars in registered nurse engagement, or at least two exemplars in patient experience alongside two exemplars in nursing-sensitive indicators.
This higher bar means the distinction functions less as an add-on credential and more as a ceiling test of whether a hospital’s nursing program performs at the top of its own peer group, not just above the general hospital population. With only 97 hospitals holding it worldwide, Magnet with Distinction currently identifies a much smaller, more concentrated set of employers than standard Magnet status alone.
How to Find Magnet Hospitals Near You
ANCC’s searchable database of all current Magnet organizations is updated monthly. Verifying Magnet status directly through ANCC is more reliable than relying on hospital marketing materials, since designations expire and must be renewed every four years.
Because Magnet recognition is awarded to individual hospitals rather than to entire health systems, one Magnet-designated location doesn’t guarantee that every facility under the same parent system holds the same status. Searching by the specific hospital name, rather than the health system’s name, produces the most accurate results.
What Magnet Status Means for Nurses by State
Magnet hospitals nationwide share the same foundational traits of stronger shared governance, more visible nursing leadership and deeper professional development infrastructure than non-Magnet facilities typically offer. Benedictine University notes that many Magnet hospitals now require a set percentage of nursing staff to hold a master’s degree, a credential requirement its online M.S.N. program is designed to meet, preparing graduates for roles such as nursing director, clinical nursing manager and clinical services director.
For nurses weighing where to advance their careers, targeting a Magnet-designated employer can shorten the path from an M.S.N. in hand to a leadership role, since these organizations are already structured to promote from within a shared-governance model. Illinois nurses have an especially deep bench of these employers to choose from, given the state’s lead in Magnet designations.
Explore Benedictine University’s online M.S.N. program.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Magnet hospitals are there in the U.S.?
In 2026, the ANCC recognized 690 hospitals worldwide for nursing excellence. About 10.8% of U.S. hospitals hold Magnet designation.
What state has the most Magnet hospitals?
Illinois has 53 Magnet-designated hospitals and is one of the top states for Magnet designation, according to IHA. The ANCC doesn’t publish official state-by-state rankings, so standings for other states aren’t reliably available. You can use ANCC’s searchable database, noted in this article, to look up hospitals in any state.
How do I find a Magnet hospital near me?
Consult ANCC’s searchable database, which is updated monthly.
How long does Magnet designation last?
Magnet designation must be renewed every four years through a redesignation process.
About Benedictine University’s Online M.S.N. Program
The Master’s Degree Program in Nursing at Benedictine University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Graduates are prepared for advanced RN roles such as nursing director, clinical nursing manager and clinical services director, including in Magnet-designated healthcare organizations. The 36-credit-hour program is delivered in flexible online format, letting working nurses complete one course per term over roughly two years.
Founded in 1887 by Benedictine monks from St. Procopius Abbey, Benedictine University has grown from a small institution serving Chicago’s Czech and Slovak communities into a coeducational university enrolling students across its main campus in Lisle, Illinois, and additional locations, including Mesa, Arizona, the first Catholic university established in that state. The university remains rooted in the Catholic Benedictine tradition of faith, reason and community engagement that has shaped its academic mission for more than a century. Today, the university continues that tradition through flexible online programs designed for working adults seeking to advance their careers.