NORC's Economics, Labor, and Population Department conducts research focused on national economic conditions and their effect on families, from conducting a national study of consumer finances to assessing the job-readiness of Chicago's youth.

From assessments of Head Start and Comprehensive School Reform to surveys of new doctoral recipients, NORC's Education and Child Development Department conducts research informing a wide range of public policies influencing the landscape of American education.

NORC's Health Survey, Program, and Policy Research Department combines strengths conducting complex surveys with skills in providing cogent analysis to perform research shaping public health and health care services policy.

NORC's Information technology plays a critical role in meeting the demands of today’s complex research and evaluation projects. From hardware and software infrastructure to data collection and distribution, NORC’s information technology staff provide analysts with an advanced data, communication, and computing infrastructure.

NORC's Statistics and Methodology Department maintains the highest level of statistical and methodological integrity for all NORC projects. This department takes the lead on projects with special methodological complexity.

NORC's Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Criminal Justice Department conducts evaluation and survey research aimed at broadening our understanding of the social conditions related to substance abuse, mental health, and crime and the impact of public policy focused on these issues.