The Top Hospital Systems for Nurse Satisfaction in America
When it comes to choosing a career in nursing, knowing which hospital systems truly support their nursing staff can make all the difference. That’s why we analyzed over 34,000 reviews from nurses on Glassdoor across 100 of the largest health systems in the U.S. to uncover where nurses are happiest.
From workplace culture to work-life balance, this data-driven breakdown offers valuable insights for aspiring nurses looking to join environments where they’ll feel respected, empowered and fulfilled.
The 20 Best Hospital Systems According to Nurses
Leading the list is the University of California Medical Centers, with an impressive 4.19 out of 5 average nurse rating across flagship locations like the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego). This system's high score signals consistent nurse satisfaction across multiple campuses, a notable feat for such a large and diverse healthcare network.
New York makes a strong showing in the top rankings, with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (No. 2), NYU Langone Health (No. 3), and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (No. 8) all earning high praise from nurses. Similarly, Pennsylvania also boasts two top-10 entries: Penn Medicine (No. 4) and Main Line Health (No. 9*), reflecting a regional strength in supportive hospital systems.
A standout for Northeastern students is the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which ranks No. 5 with a 4.11/5 rating. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Dana-Farber is known for its patient-centered care and cutting-edge research, and its top-tier nurse satisfaction rating further confirms its status as a premier healthcare employer in the region.
Other notable entries include Stanford Health Care (No. 6, California), Mayo Clinic (No. 9*, Minnesota), and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (No. 13*, California), showcasing the prominence of academic medical centers on this list. In total, the top 20 hospital systems span 13 different states, underscoring the broad geographic range of institutions that are setting the bar for nurse satisfaction.
Check out the full ranking of all 100 hospital systems analyzed below:
The States Where Nurses Are Most Satisfied
By aggregating the hospital system ratings from our 34,000+ nurse reviews for 100 major hospital systems across 48 states, we identified the top 15 states where nurses report the highest levels of job satisfaction.
New York leads the pack with an average nurse rating of 3.93/5, thanks in part to several high-performing health systems like Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYU Langone and NewYork-Presbyterian, all of which appear in the national top 10. California follows closely behind with a 3.88/5 average, bolstered by the stellar performance of its University of California Medical Centers.
Kentucky and Idaho tie for the No. 3 spot with a 3.81/5 rating. Despite having fewer nationally known health systems, both states appear to foster positive work environments that resonate with nursing staff. This pattern suggests that smaller or less urbanized states may offer workplace cultures that nurses appreciate, possibly due to the tight-knit teams or more manageable patient loads.
Other states with strong showings include Indiana (No. 5), Louisiana (No. 6), and Minnesota (No. 7), each averaging above 3.65/5. Meanwhile, states like Florida, New Jersey, Texas and North Carolina — home to Northeastern’s Charlotte-based campus — all land in the top 10, reflecting strong regional diversity across the U.S.
Rounding out the list are Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois, each just above or near the 3.60/5 mark. Though not all these states had hospital systems in the national top five, their consistent mid-to-high rankings across multiple systems helped elevate their state averages.
Closing Thoughts
By analyzing over 34,000 reviews across 100 of the largest hospital systems in the U.S., this study provides valuable insight into where nurses are most satisfied, both at the hospital level and statewide. For nursing students preparing to enter the workforce, these findings offer a glimpse into potential employers that have strong recommendations from fellow nurses.
At Northeastern University, we understand how important a supportive work environment is to nursing success. That’s why our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is designed to equip students with the knowledge, clinical experience and personalized guidance they need to thrive in today’s healthcare landscape.
Whether you're planning to practice in the Boston, Massachusetts or Providence, Rhode Island areas or in Charlotte, North Carolina, Northeastern is here to support your journey every step of the way.
Ready to start your path toward a fulfilling nursing career? Contact us today to learn how Northeastern can help you make an impact in the communities that need it most.
Methodology
To determine which hospital systems are most highly rated by nurses, we scraped over 34,000 reviews from Glassdoor across 100 of the largest hospital systems in the United States. For each system, we filtered reviews by job title to include only those left by individuals who identified as “Nurse.” From these filtered reviews, we collected the total number of nurse reviews, the average star rating, and the location of each hospital system.
We then ranked the hospital systems nationally based on their average star rating from nurse reviews. Additionally, we aggregated the data by state to identify which states stand out in terms of nurse satisfaction, based on the average ratings of hospital systems within each state.
Note: To ensure data reliability, states with fewer than 100 total nurse reviews were excluded from the state-level rankings. The following states did not meet that threshold and were therefore not included: Connecticut, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Alaska, Utah, Nevada, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, Hawaii, Nebraska, West Virginia, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont.
Additionally, because Glassdoor does not aggregate reviews under a single listing for “University of California Medical Centers,” we calculated an average nurse rating across five flagship UC hospitals: UCLA Health, UCSF Health, UC San Diego Health, UC Davis Health and UCI Health.