NEW YORK–Newsweek has released a ranking of the top 500 credit unions in the country as part of its America’s Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions 2026. The ranking were created in conjunction with Plant-A Insights Group.
“Regional banks and credit unions form the financial backbone of communities across the country,” the publication said in releasing the rankings. “They power local economies by supporting small businesses, financing community projects and providing reliable access to everyday banking services. With deep roots in the regions they serve, these institutions build personal relationships with customers, allowing them to tailor their support to local needs.
Credit unions, structured as member-owned cooperatives, operate with service as their guiding mission. That commitment often results in lower fees, competitive loan options and an emphasis on member satisfaction. More than financial service providers, credit unions are community partners, showing up in neighborhoods, participating in local initiatives and helping strengthen the connections that bind their members together.”
The Methodology
According to Newsweek, its rankings utilized the Texas Ratio (a measure of a FI’s credit quality) as well as reviewed profitability and net loans and leases, press coverage over the past two years, an elaborate large-scale independent customer survey of more than 71,000 U.S. citizens 1.9 million social media reviews and 129 million mobile app reviews. It then determined the top 500 regional banks and top 500 credit unions.
Newsweek said more than 8,800 banks and credit unions were considered in an initial review that measured them across key financial benchmarks that include profitability, Texas ratio, and net loans and leases. Of these, more than 2,400 banks and 2,400 credit unions were selected for an in-depth evaluation in a survey of U.S. customers conducted between July 2025 and September 2025.
66,000 Experiences Shared
More than 66,000 U.S. credit union members and bank customers shared their experiences with banks and credit unions and evaluated them across 12 categorical dimensions that include Customer Service, Perks and Benefits, and Fees and Interest Rates, the company said.
In addition, responses from more than 70,000 participants from previous 2024 and 2023 studies were incorporated to evaluate the consistency and performance of banks and credit unions over time. In total, data from more than 140,000 respondents were considered, making America’s Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions 2026 one of the largest studies of its kind.
Additional Data
“The survey data was complemented by an analysis of more than 2.3 million social media reviews and over 80 million app store reviews from Apple and Google Play to provide a holistic view of the performance of banks and credit unions across each physical location and digital platform,” Newsweek said. “In a final step Media Monitoring platform Critical Mention by Onclusive was used to identify banks and credit unions with legal disputes and reputational incidents between Dec, 1, 2023 and Dec. 1, 2025.
The rankings can be found here.
