For the third straight year, top 30 accounting firm PKF O’Connor Davies has the No. 1 overall internship program in the U.S., according to the latest ranking of the top programs in the country from career engagement platform Vault.
In addition, the Harrison, NY-based firm took top internship program honors in Vault’s Accounting category.
“We’re honored to receive this recognition for the third consecutive year,” Kevin Keane, CEO of PKF O’Connor Davies, said in a statement on Oct. 23. “It reflects our unwavering commitment to developing emerging talent and our belief that when we create meaningful opportunities for young professionals, we’re investing in the future of our industry.”
“Our internship program is designed to give every participant the opportunity to grow, contribute, and feel valued,” added Dawn Perri, the accounting firm’s chief human resources officer. “Being ranked No. 1 again by Vault underscores our belief that investing in our team members—their learning, inclusion, and future career success—is what truly sets us apart. This honor also highlights the dedication of our campus recruiting team, who continue to attract and support top emerging talent.”
Vault’s internship rankings for 2026 highlight the top programs in more than 30 categories. This past summer, the platform surveyed more than 17,000 current and former interns from more than 200 internship programs. Respondents were asked to rate a list of top companies on how prestigious their internship programs are. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest, respondents were also asked to rate their internship experiences in seven core areas: quality of life, compensation and benefits, interview process, career development, full-time employment prospects, inclusion, and culture of acceptance, which is a new category this year.
To determine an overall score for each program, the ratings were assigned relative weights based on what interns told Vault they value most in an internship. The overall scores are based on the following weighted formula: 35% for career development, 20% for employment prospects, 20% for quality of life, 20% for compensation, and 5% for culture of acceptance.
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PKF O’Connor Davies finished with an overall score of 9.812 out of 10, finishing ahead of second place HCVT, also a public accounting firm.
In a blog announcing the rankings, Vault wrote the following about PKF O’Connor Davies’ internship program:
Accounting firm PKF O’Connor Davies is back at the top of our Best Internships list for the third year in a row. Past interns with the firm are impressed with how their abilities grow over the course of the internship, with one intern reporting, “As the internship went on, my work efficiency went up, and my work mistakes decreased. This was thanks to the training I got and my coworkers helping me whenever I needed. I always had work to do, and I truly felt as if I had a full-time position since I talked to clients and did real work that mattered.” One intern said of their experience, “The quality of life is phenomenal. The people in the office are all super helpful and friendly. The saying you ‘get’ to go to work rather than you ‘have’ to truly applies here.”
For folks interested in joining future iterations of the PKF O’Connor Davies internship program, one intern had this advice to offer: “I recommend just learning about people in the office. Everyone has their own path and stories, and it is so interesting and helpful to hear from everyone. Another assured future interns that, “Everyone who works at the firm wants you to learn and help you out in any way possible. They want you to develop your skills as an accountant.”
Two other public accounting firms, BMSS and WilkinGuttenplan, also finished in the top 10 of the best internship program ranking for 2026 at No. 4 and No. 10, respectively.
The internship program at Gusto, a payroll, benefits, and HR solutions company that many accountants are familiar with, came in at No. 7.
Led by PKF O’Connor Davies, the following are the top 30 internship programs in the Accounting category for 2026, according to Vault:
1. PKF O’Connor Davies
2. HCVT
3. BMSS
4. WilkinGuttenplan
5. Keiter
6. Aprio
7. KSM (Katz, Sapper & Miller)
8. Plante Moran
9. Baker Tilly
10. Calibre CPA Group (IMPACT Program)
11. Frazier & Deeter
12. H&CO (Brilliant Internship Program)
13. Sensiba
14. Frank, Rimerman + Co. (Summer Internship Program)
15. Grant Thornton
16. Lumsden McCormick
17. Bennett Thrasher
18. H&R Block
19. CohnReznick
20. Weaver
21. Mowery & Schoenfeld
22. Cherry Bekaert
23. BDO USA
24. Elliott Davis
25. CTBK (Chiampou Travis Besaw & Kershner)
26. Eide Bailly (Accounting and Technology Internship Programs)
27. HBK (Hill Barth & King)
28. Sikich (Scholars Internship Program)
29. BerryDunn
30. Withum
Internships at each of the Big Four firms finished in the top 50 of Vault’s 2026 Most Prestigious category. Deloitte was ranked No. 19, followed by PwC at No. 24, KPMG at No. 25, and EY at No. 31.
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