Social science students stand the best chance of getting a job after graduation, a new report suggests.

A study entitled ‘What do social science graduates do?’ found that 84 per cent of social science graduates are in employment three and a half years after completing their degrees.

In comparison, 79 per cent of arts and humanities graduates and 78 per cent of those who had taken STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects are in employment.

The report, conducted on behalf of the Campaign for Social Science, was based on figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in August, which tracked the progress of those that graduated in 2009. The writers of the report took social science to include sociology, politics, economics, law, education, business studies and a number of other subjects.

The researchers also found that social science graduates were more likely to get jobs higher up the ladder: 7.6 per cent of those who studied social science had jobs as senior officials or managers, compared to 6.2 per cent of arts and humanities graduates and 3.6 per cent of those who took STEM subjects.

Professor James Wilsdon, Chair of the Campaign for Social Science, argues that the employers are “queuing up to hire social science graduates” because they “have the skills of analysis and communication that our economy and society needs.”

He said: “It’s time to banish any lingering myths about the value of a social science degree...The UK is a world leader in social science, and it’s vital that we maintain this capacity. Teaching and training the next generation of social scientists is an investment that will repay itself many times over.”

The report was unveiled at a public lecture hosted by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills earlier this week. David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, spoke on the future for social science, and the agenda beyond 2015.

Willetts said: “Social sciences are vitally important to help us understand the world around us. The UK is ranked second in the world for the quantity and quality of social science research we produce but we cannot be complacent.”

The Campagin for Social Science, launched in 2011, is supported by 69 universities and aims to raise the profile of the social science “at a time of important changes to funding” across academia.