Top eye hospitals for glaucoma care in the United States

How the Nation's Top Eye Hospitals Are Ranked for Glaucoma Care

The primary benchmark used by clinicians and patients alike is the annual U.S. News and World Report 'Best Hospitals' ranking, which evaluates more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 medical specialties. 1 Only 13% of evaluated hospitals receive a 'Best Hospitals' designation in any specialty, making the ophthalmology list a particularly selective indicator of institutional quality. 1 The ophthalmology rankings rely on expert opinion surveys completed by unaffiliated physicians, with nominations from specialists who have no institutional affiliation carrying greater statistical weight. 2 Newsweek, in partnership with global data firm Statista, separately publishes an 'America's Leading Doctors' list that ranks individual glaucoma surgeons by peer nomination and patient outcomes, providing a complementary physician-level perspective. 3

Glaucoma is defined by the National Eye Institute as progressive damage to the optic nerve that can worsen over time, frequently without noticeable symptoms in early stages. 4 The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that because permanent vision loss can result, access to specialized diagnostic infrastructure, including optical coherence tomography (OCT), automated visual field perimetry, and tonometry, is a critical differentiator among institutions. 5 Top academic centers also offer participation in clinical trials, giving patients access to emerging therapies not yet available in standard clinical settings. 6

The Top 11 Ophthalmology Hospitals in 2025-26 and Their Glaucoma Programs

The U.S. News and World Report 2025-26 rankings, released July 29, 2025, identified eleven institutions at the national level for ophthalmology excellence. 1 All eleven operate dedicated glaucoma divisions or services, making the list an authoritative starting point for patients with this specific diagnosis. The ranked institutions, in order, are presented below with their locations.

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute: Sustained National Leadership

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has held the top position in the U.S. News ophthalmology ranking for the 24th time overall and the 22nd consecutive year, as of the 2025-26 report. 7 The institution, part of UHealth, the University of Miami Health System, serves nearly 300,000 patients annually through a team of approximately 1,200 specialists, researchers, and technicians. 8 More than 21,000 sight-saving surgeries are performed each year across five South Florida locations, with a sixth facility planned for Abu Dhabi. 8 Director Eduardo C. Alfonso, MD, has described the institute's approach as centered on personalized precision medicine, including the integration of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics into diagnostic workflows. 8

Bascom Palmer's glaucoma division encompasses both adult and pediatric subspecialties. Dr. Ta Chen Peter Chang, MD, serves as Medical Director of the Samuel and Ethel Balkan International Pediatric Glaucoma Center within the institute, holding joint appointments in pediatrics and human genetics. 9 Dr. Swarup S. Swaminathan, an associate professor at Bascom Palmer, leads research on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) of the optic nerve head and the use of artificial intelligence for diagnosing and monitoring glaucomatous progression. 10 His training included a glaucoma fellowship at Duke Eye Center under noted specialists Sanjay Asrani and Felipe Medeiros. 10

Wilmer Eye Institute, Wills Eye Hospital, and Mass Eye and Ear: Detailed Program Profiles

The Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins, ranked third nationally, operates a Glaucoma Center of Excellence. Dr. Harry A. Quigley, the A. Edward Maumenee Professor of Ophthalmology, developed the Wilmer glaucoma division and has published more than 350 peer-reviewed articles, holding the distinction of being the most cited author in the ophthalmic literature over the past 30 years. 11 He was a founding member of the American Glaucoma Society and was elected to serve as chief executive officer of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). 11 Dr. Pradeep Ramulu, who holds the Sheila K. West Professorship at Wilmer, serves as Chief of the Glaucoma Division and specializes in complex glaucomas including those requiring repeated surgical interventions, pediatric cases, and glaucoma co-occurring with corneal or retinal disease. 12

Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, ranked second, houses one of the most established glaucoma services in the country, with Dr. Jonathan S. Myers serving as Director of the Glaucoma Division since April 2018, following more than two decades as an attending surgeon and glaucoma fellowship director. 13 At Mass Eye and Ear in Boston, ranked fourth, the Glaucoma Service includes Dr. David S. Friedman, MD, MPH, PhD, who also previously directed the Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins, the only World Health Organization collaborating center for vision in the United States. 14 Dr. Milica Margeta, a clinician scientist at Mass Eye and Ear, focuses on neuroprotective strategies for glaucoma, specifically studying how modulating microglial signaling protects retinal neurons despite elevated intraocular pressure. 15

Duke, Iowa, UCSF, Cleveland Clinic, and Moran Eye Center: Regional Strengths

Duke University Hospital, ranked seventh, offers a glaucoma program led by specialists including Dr. Sanjay G. Asrani, who focuses on minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) and early detection through advanced imaging, and participates in clinical trials for emerging glaucoma treatments. 16 The University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, ranked sixth nationally by U.S. News and third in residency training by the Doximity Residency Navigator platform, has built a nearly century-old tradition of excellence and functions as a national referral center for complex ophthalmic cases. 17 UCSF Health, ranked eleventh, houses the glaucoma division co-directed by Dr. Yvonne Ou, MD, whose research targets retinal ganglion cell degeneration and the development of improved diagnostic tests for monitoring glaucoma progression. 18

The Cole Eye Institute at Cleveland Clinic, ranked tenth, includes Dr. Mary Qiu, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist with fellowship training from Cleveland Clinic itself and residency experience from Johns Hopkins, who serves as a consultant to companies developing novel glaucoma devices. 19 The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah, ranked ninth, includes Dr. Roya Garakani, DO, who serves as section chief of ophthalmology for the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center while maintaining a clinical practice in both medical and surgical glaucoma management. 20 The Stein and Doheny Eye Institute at UCLA, ranked fifth, contributes multiple physicians to the Newsweek 'America's Leading Doctors 2025' list for glaucoma surgery, including Dr. Simon K. Law (ranked first nationally in that category), Dr. Kouros Nouri-Mahdavi, Dr. Brian A. Francis, and Dr. Vikas Chopra. 3

Treatment Modalities Available at Leading Glaucoma Centers

Mayo Clinic describes the primary treatment options for glaucoma as including prescription eye drops, laser therapy, and surgical intervention, with the appropriate course determined by glaucoma type and disease severity. 21 Top academic centers extend this spectrum significantly, offering procedures such as trabeculectomy, glaucoma tube shunts, and a growing array of minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS) that reduce intraocular pressure with shorter recovery periods compared to traditional open surgery. 6 Several institutions, including Mass Eye and Ear, are also investigating drug delivery devices designed to eliminate the need for daily eye drops, reflecting a broader shift in how long-term disease management is approached. 22

The Cleveland Clinic defines glaucoma as a group of diseases that damage the optic nerve and can lead to irreversible vision loss. 23 Given this irreversible nature, centers with robust research infrastructure are clinically significant because they can offer gene therapy protocols, neuroprotective interventions, and novel surgical implants that remain unavailable in community practice settings. 11 Patients referred to academic glaucoma programs typically undergo multimodal diagnostic evaluation encompassing tonometry for intraocular pressure measurement, optic nerve imaging via OCT, and automated visual field testing. 4

Eligibility, Access Considerations, and Known Friction Points

Access to nationally ranked glaucoma centers is not uniform. Geographic concentration in urban academic hubs such as Miami, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, and Los Angeles means that patients in rural or underserved regions may face significant travel burdens or extended wait times for initial specialist consultations. Insurance acceptance varies by institution and by individual provider within each system; patients should verify network participation directly with each center's scheduling office before assuming coverage. 12 Physician-level referral or documented primary care glaucoma evaluation is often a prerequisite for acceptance into tertiary care glaucoma fellowship programs at institutions like Wilmer or Wills Eye. 13

Participation in clinical trials, while offering access to emerging therapies, involves its own eligibility criteria including disease stage, prior treatment history, and absence of certain comorbidities. Not all patients presenting to academic centers will qualify for trial enrollment. Additionally, surgical outcomes at even the most decorated institutions carry inherent risks specific to glaucoma procedures, including infection, hypotony (excessively low eye pressure), cataract progression following trabeculectomy, and device-related complications associated with tube shunts. Patients should engage in detailed discussions with a fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist to weigh the risk-benefit profile of any proposed intervention against the natural progression risk of their specific disease subtype. 21

Sources

1. Becker's ASC Review - US News Top 11 Ophthalmology Hospitals in 2025 (beckersasc.com)
2. Ophthalmology Times - Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Ranked Top Ophthalmology Hospital for 22nd Year in a Row (ophthalmologytimes.com)
3. Newsweek Rankings - America's Leading Doctors 2025: Glaucoma Surgery (rankings.newsweek.com)
4. National Eye Institute (NEI) / National Institutes of Health - Glaucoma (nei.nih.gov)
5. American Academy of Ophthalmology - Glaucoma Quick Facts and Treatment Overview (aao.org)
6. UCLA Health / Stein Eye Institute - Glaucoma Division Overview (uclahealth.org)
7. Yahoo Finance / PRNewswire - Bascom Palmer Remains No. 1 in 2025 U.S. News and World Report Rankings (finance.yahoo.com)
8. INVISIONMAG / PRNewswire - Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Ranked Nation's No. 1 in Ophthalmology for 24th Time (invisionmag.com)
9. Bascom Palmer Doctors UMiami Health - Dr. Ta Chen Peter Chang, MD Profile (bascompalmer-doctors.umiamihealth.org)
10. UMiami Health Doctors - Dr. Swarup S. Swaminathan, MD Profile (doctors.umiamihealth.org)
11. Johns Hopkins Medicine - Dr. Harry A. Quigley, MD Profile, Wilmer Eye Institute (profiles.hopkinsmedicine.org)
12. Johns Hopkins Medicine - Dr. Pradeep Ramulu, MD, PhD Profile, Wilmer Eye Institute (profiles.hopkinsmedicine.org)
13. LinkedIn / Exa.ai Library - Jonathan S. Myers, Director Glaucoma, Wills Eye Hospital (linkedin.com)
14. Mass General Brigham Doctors - Dr. David S. Friedman, MD, MPH, PhD Profile (doctors.massgeneralbrigham.org)
15. Mass General Brigham Doctors - Dr. Milica Margeta, MD, PhD Profile (doctors.massgeneralbrigham.org)
16. Duke Health - Sanjay G. Asrani, MD, Glaucoma Specialist Profile (dukehealth.org)
17. University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences - Ophthalmology Earns National Recognition 2025 (eye.medicine.uiowa.edu)
18. UCSF Health - Dr. Yvonne Ou, MD, Glaucoma Profile (ucsfhealth.org)
19. Cleveland Clinic Providers - Dr. Mary Qiu, MD Profile, Cole Eye Institute (providers.clevelandclinic.org)
20. University of Utah Health - Dr. Roya Garakani, DO, Moran Eye Center Profile (healthcare.utah.edu)
21. Mayo Clinic - Glaucoma Diagnosis and Treatment (mayoclinic.org)
22. Mass General Brigham Doctors - Dr. Courtney Lynne Ondeck, MD, MPhil Profile (doctors.massgeneralbrigham.org)
23. Cleveland Clinic - Glaucoma Disease Overview (my.clevelandclinic.org)