Employment prospects may be dwindling as law firms continue to scale back trainee intakes and slash associate ranks through redundancy consultations, but this seems to have done little to dent law students' confidence in their higher education.

This year's Law Student Report shows 10 UK institutions receiving an average overall score of good/excellent from their own students when questioned on a range of factors including employability, value for money and quality of teaching, with 17 law faculties rated above average.

All of which suggests today's law graduates are emerging from three years at university feeling they've received good value training and an education making them highly desirable for prospective employees. 

Unfortunately, this is where much of the good news ends. The number of law students wanting to become solicitors has fallen for the third year in a row – with the profession's popularity dwindling as it drifts ever closer to the banking model and further away from perceptions of offering a job for life. 

Meanwhile, diversity statistics have barely moved, with 69% of this year's 3,361 respondents white, and 69% of aspiring partners also white, compared to just 3% being black. And, while state-educated respondents form the clear majority, the number of privately educated future lawyers is still marginally up, rather than down, on last year. 

And it doesn't get better when looking at training contracts. Overall, 27% of respondents already had training contract offers, but this figure rose to 42% for those at Oxbridge, with success rates also higher for privately educated students. 

None of this is, of course, law firms' fault, and says far more about the UK education system than anything else. But when you add in the fact that