When your kidneys or liver start failing, waiting feels like forever. A great transplant hospital can cut that wait, give you a healthy organ faster, and most importantly, keep you alive and smiling for many more years. After checking the latest 2025 numbers from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR), U.S. News rankings, and real patient results, these five hospitals are simply the best in America right now for both kidney and liver transplants.
1. NYU Langone – New York City
If you want the absolute fastest and safest kidney transplant in the country, doctors keep pointing to NYU Langone. Their one-year kidney survival rate is among the highest in the nation, and they move people from the waitlist to the operating room quicker than almost anyone else. The liver team is just as impressive – best survival numbers in New York state. Walking around Manhattan after your new organ feels pretty special when you know you got it from one of the top teams on the planet.
2. Mayo Clinic – Rochester (AZ & FL too)
Mayo Clinic’s name carries weight for a reason. They do hundreds of kidney and liver transplants every year and have perfected the art of paired donations and using organs that other centers might turn down. Patients love how everything is under one roof – your surgeon, your kidney doctor, your liver doctor, even your counselor – everyone talks to each other. That kind of teamwork means fewer complications and more birthdays celebrated after transplant.
3. Cleveland Clinic – Ohio
Year after year, Cleveland Clinic performs more kidney transplants than any other hospital in America. More transplants = more experience = better outcomes. Their liver program is equally strong, especially for people who are really sick while waiting. They were one of the first to safely use older donor organs and organs from people after cardiac death, which means shorter waits for their patients. Ohio might not sound glamorous, but this place saves lives like few others.
4. UCSF Medical Center – San Francisco
Out on the West Coast, UCSF is famous for taking on the toughest cases. Their living-donor liver program is one of the biggest and most successful in the world – perfect if a family member wants to donate part of their liver. Kidney patients rave about how quickly they get matched, especially with harder-to-match blood types. The views of the Golden Gate Bridge from the recovery floor don’t hurt either.
5. Massachusetts General – Boston
MGH in Boston has been doing transplants since the very beginning – they literally wrote the book on it. Today they still lead in combined kidney-liver transplants for people who need both organs saved at once. Their survival rates for both kidney and liver recipients are excellent, and they’re always trying new ways to wipe out waitlists (like kidney swap chains that involve dozens of pairs). Boston winters are cold, but the care here is warm and world-class.
Final Words
Getting a kidney or liver transplant is a big deal, and choosing the right hospital can add years to your life. These five centers aren’t just ranked high on paper – they’re the places doctors send their own family members. Wherever you live, if you or someone you love is waiting for a transplant, starting with one of these names gives you the very best shot at a healthy tomorrow. Stay strong – there’s hope, and it lives in these hospitals.
