State hospital quality · CMS Hospital Compare

Best CMS-rated hospitals in South Carolina

According to PlainHospital's state average CMS-star ranking, South Carolina ranks #14 of 54 states and territories by average overall star rating among rated hospitals (highest = #1).

66
Hospitals: #14 of 54
Corpus placement: 3.4★
Avg (49 rated): 7
Five-star: 55
With ER

South Carolina vs all states by Medicare hospital count

Where this state's Medicare-certified hospital inventory sits among every tracked state and territory (inventory signal, not a quality ranking)

66 31st of 56 higher than 25 of 56 states

States and territories, banded by Medicare-certified hospital count

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CMS Hospital Compare · 2026-08-14

The state picture

According to PlainHospital's state average CMS-star ranking, South Carolina ranks #14 of 54 states and territories by average overall star rating among rated hospitals (highest = #1). Among 49 rated hospitals, the state averages 3.4 of 5 stars.

3.4 / 5
state average among rated (above 3.2 national): #14 of 54
state corpus placement by avg star: 7
five-star hospitals: 49 of 66 rated
hospitals with a CMS overall rating

CMS star ratings are composite quality scores; 49 of 66 South Carolina hospitals had enough reporting volume to receive one. Not medical advice.

South Carolina hospital quality

South Carolina averages 3.4/5 CMS stars across 49 rated hospitals (above the 3.2 national average), with 7 five-star facilities of 66 Medicare-certified hospitals.

PlainHospital ranks South Carolina hospitals from CMS Hospital Compare overall star ratings (mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience, timely care). Corpus placement: #14 of 54 states and territories by average overall star among rated hospitals. 49 of 66 facilities had enough volume to receive a star; the rest stay unrated. Not medical advice - open a hospital page for the measure-level detail.

5★

7
4★

17
3★

15
2★

10
1★

0

What this shows 7 South Carolina hospitals reach five stars; the state's 3.4-star average sits above the 3.2-star national mark.

What the Data Shows About Hospitals in South Carolina

South Carolina has 66 Medicare-certified hospitals tracked by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare program. Of these, 55 facilities operate an emergency department, an important signal for communities that rely on nearby acute-care access. The statewide average CMS overall star rating is 3.4 out of 5 , calculated across the 49 of 66 hospitals with enough reporting volume to generate a composite rating.

At the top of the quality distribution, 7 hospitals have earned the highest 5-star CMS overall rating in South Carolina. The single highest-rated facility in the state registry is Charleston VA Medical Center in Charleston, currently listed at 5/5 stars. Star ratings are composite scores built from mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience (HCAHPS), and timely & effective care domains, so a single number conceals meaningful per-domain variation that matters for specific procedures.

Showing 50 of 66 hospitals on this page (page 1 of 2). Hospital quality varies materially within a state, urban academic centers, rural critical-access hospitals, and specialty facilities report against different baselines, so comparing individual facility profiles before choosing planned care is more useful than relying on the statewide average alone. All figures reflect the CMS Hospital Compare release from 2026-08-14, and nothing on this page is medical advice, consult a qualified clinician before making care decisions.

Hospitals

3.4

Avg (49 rated)

Five-Star

With ER

Top-Rated in South Carolina

Highest CMS star ratings among Medicare-certified hospitals in South Carolina.

🥇1 Charleston VA Medical Center Charleston, SC · Acute Care - Veterans Administration ★★★★★
🥈2 Columbia Sc VA Medical Center Columbia, SC · Acute Care - Veterans Administration ★★★★★
🥉3 Mount Pleasant Hospital Mount Pleasant, SC · Acute Care Hospitals ★★★★★
4 Pelham Medical Center Greer, SC · Acute Care Hospitals ★★★★★
5 Prisma Health Patewood Hospital Greenville, SC · Acute Care Hospitals ★★★★★
6 Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital Spartanburg, SC · Acute Care Hospitals ★★★★★

Compare Charleston VA Medical Center vs Columbia Sc VA Medical Center →

All Hospitals

Showing 1–50 of 66 hospitals

Hospital	City	Type	Rating	ER
Abbeville Area Medical Center Abbeville	Abbeville	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Aiken Regional Medical Center Aiken	Aiken	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Allendale County Hospital Fairfax	Fairfax	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Anmed Health Anderson	Anderson	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Beaufort County Memorial Hospital Beaufort	Beaufort	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Bon Secours-St Francis Xavier Hospital Charleston	Charleston	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Cannon Memorial Hospital Pickens	Pickens	Acute Care Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Carolina Ctr for Behavioral Health,the Greer	Greer	Psychiatric	N/A	No
Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center Hartsville	Hartsville	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Charleston VA Medical Center Charleston	Charleston	Acute Care - Veterans Administration	5	Yes
Cherokee Medical Center Gaffney	Gaffney	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Coastal Carolina Hospital Hardeeville	Hardeeville	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Colleton Medical Center Walterboro	Walterboro	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Columbia Sc VA Medical Center Columbia	Columbia	Acute Care - Veterans Administration	5	Yes
Conway Medical Center Conway	Conway	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
East Cooper Medical Center Mount Pleasant	Mount Pleasant	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Edgefield County Healthcare an Affiliate of Self R Edgefield	Edgefield	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
G Werber Bryan Psych Hosp Columbia	Columbia	Psychiatric	N/A	No
Grand Strand Regional Medical Center Myrtle Beach	Myrtle Beach	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Hampton Regional Medical Center Varnville	Varnville	Acute Care Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Kershawhealth Camden	Camden	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Lexington Medical Center West Columbia	West Columbia	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Lighthouse Behavioral Health Hospital Conway	Conway	Psychiatric	N/A	Yes
McLeod Health Cheraw Cheraw	Cheraw	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
McLeod Health Clarendon Manning	Manning	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
McLeod Loris Hospital Loris	Loris	Acute Care Hospitals	4	No
McLeod Medical Center - Dillon Dillon	Dillon	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
McLeod Regional Medical Center-Pee Dee Florence	Florence	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Mount Pleasant Hospital Mount Pleasant	Mount Pleasant	Acute Care Hospitals	5	Yes
MUSC Health Chester Medical Center Chester	Chester	Acute Care Hospitals	N/A	Yes
MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown Columbia	Columbia	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
MUSC Health Florence Medical Center Florence	Florence	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster	Lancaster	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
MUSC Health Marion Medical Center Mullins	Mullins	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
MUSC Medical Center Charleston	Charleston	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Newberry County Memorial Hospital Newberry	Newberry	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Nh Beaufort Beaufort	Beaufort	Acute Care - Department of Defense	N/A	No
Novant Health Hilton Head Medical Center Hilton Head Island	Hilton Head Island	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Palmetto Lowcountry Behavioral Health Charleston	Charleston	Psychiatric	N/A	No
Patrick B Harris Psychiatric Hospital Anderson	Anderson	Psychiatric	N/A	No
Pelham Medical Center Greer	Greer	Acute Care Hospitals	5	Yes
Piedmont Medical Center Rock Hill	Rock Hill	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Prisma Health Patewood Hospital Greenville	Greenville	Acute Care Hospitals	5	No
Prisma Health Baptist Columbia	Columbia	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Prisma Health Baptist Easley Hospital Easley	Easley	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge Columbia	Columbia	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital Greenville	Greenville	Acute Care Hospitals	4	No
Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital Spartanburg	Spartanburg	Acute Care Hospitals	5	Yes
Prisma Health Hillcrest Hospital Simpsonville	Simpsonville	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital Clinton	Clinton	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes

Hospital Quality in South Carolina

South Carolina has 66 Medicare-certified hospitals tracked by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Of these, 7 have earned the highest 5-star overall quality rating, reflecting strong performance across mortality, safety of care, readmission rates, patient experience, and timely and effective care measures.

The average CMS star rating across the 49 rated of 66 South Carolina hospitals is 3.4. 55 facilities have emergency departments, an important factor for communities that depend on nearby acute care. Hospital quality can vary significantly within a state, so comparing individual facility ratings before choosing care is recommended.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best hospital in South Carolina? ▼

The highest-rated hospital in South Carolina is Charleston VA Medical Center in Charleston with a CMS star rating of 5/5. There are 7 five-star hospitals in the state out of 66 Medicare-certified facilities.

How are hospitals rated? ▼

CMS rates hospitals on a 1-to-5 star scale based on quality measures including mortality, safety, patient experience, readmission rates, and timely care. In South Carolina, the average star rating is 3.4 across rated hospitals.

How many hospitals are in South Carolina? ▼

South Carolina has 66 Medicare-certified hospitals, of which 55 have emergency departments. 7 hospitals have earned the highest 5-star CMS rating.

Data from CMS Hospital Compare; patient-experience scores from the HCAHPS survey. Last refreshed: 2026-08-14. About PlainHospital and our data sources

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Compiled by PlainHospital, Hospital Quality Editorial Process · August 14, 2026

Every figure on PlainHospital is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.