The contest for top student talent is always fierce, and Prosple’s latest Reputation list shows exactly where grads want to work.

According to Prosple’s 2026 Reputation Rankings, King & Wood Mallesons, Ashurst and Allens have the best reputation amongst graduates.

Prosple has revamped its system for 2026, launching a standalone Reputation ranking that measures one thing: aspiration — or in other words, which law firms do students want to work for?

The old “most sought-after” list blended reputation, application volumes and reviews. But application data can skew the picture — elite firms often receive fewer applications simply because their criteria are narrower. That doesn’t mean students want them any less.

So Prosple has stripped the metric back to what matters most: student sentiment.

Prosple surveyed more than 2,000 current and recent graduates, asking:

Those responses are run through a model to calculate a desirability score.

The pattern is unmistakable.

The traditional heavyweights — KWM, Ashurst, Allens, Clayton Utz, HSF Kramer, G+T and MinterEllison — remain the firms students most want on their CVs.

Prestige still matters. Brand still matters. And the biggest names are holding firm at the top.

For grads, reputation is a quick guide to where their peers aspire to go. And in 2026, the top end of town is still the clear favourite.

Source: Prosple