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NORC at the University Chicago
From the public perception of the admission process to the career paths of PhD students, NORC has studied almost every aspect of higher education. 

College and university degrees—from associate's degrees through PhDs—are increasingly necessary credentials for lifelong personal and professional success. But maximizing the accessibility of degree programs and supporting broad student success remain elusive goals. 

NORC has decades of experience studying how and why students of all ages pursue postsecondary education and the factors that contribute to their success. Much of that work has been done through our Higher Education Analytics Center, which provides post-secondary institutions and related organizations with the data and insights necessary to improve their function and inform their policy decisions to the benefit of students, alumni, educators, academic leaders, and the institutions themselves.

In the wake of the Operation Varsity Blues admission scandal, we explored the public perception of the college admission process.  We have partnered with the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research on the Chicagoland College to Career Transition project, which examines the degree attainment, job-search experiences, and career outcomes of diverse students. Our Education and Transition to Adulthood project is using transcript data from participants in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to improve our understanding of the complex interplay of family, education, work, and health across the life course.

NORC also conducts the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This study is the only source of data on the careers of science and engineering doctorate holders from U.S. institutions, and it provides key data on the education and training, work experience, career development, and demographics of this important population.

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Postsecondary & Graduate Education Experts

Highlighted Projects

National Education and Employment Study

Seeking a better understanding of postsecondary work-related education, training, and credentials

Client:

Lumina Foundation

The Doctoral Benchmarking Alliance

Doctoral programs create standardized measures to assess their performance

Client:

University of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University, Walden University, Capella University, Indiana Weselyan University, Colorado Technical University, and Northcentral University

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship Survey Report

Analyzing student experiences based on a variety of factors such as race and gender

Client:

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Gates Millennium Scholars Longitudinal Outcomes

Examining the effect of a program to support high-achieving, low-income college students of color

Client:

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Evaluation

Examining the effects of the LSAMP program on students and schools

Client:

National Science Foundation

Middle States Commission on Higher Education COVID-19 Report

Evaluating how higher education institutions adapted in response to the pandemic

Client:

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Kauffman Scholars Evaluation

Analyzing the ripple effect of a 20-year-old college scholarship and mentorship program in Kansas City

Client:

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Advancing Research & Communications in STEM

Raising the nation’s learning curve on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

Client:

National Science Foundation

Bottom Line 2019 Follow-up Survey

Assessing a guidance and mentoring program for low-income college students of color

Client:

Carnegie Corporation of New York

Venter Institute’s Genomics Scholars Program

Evaluating efforts to help community college students transition to four-year colleges

Client:

J. Craig Venter Institute

College Board ACES

Providing better and secure means of validating college admissions and course placement policies

Client:

College Board

Booth School of Business Doctoral Student and Research Professionals Climate Study

A survey of inclusiveness and well-being among doctoral students and research professionals

Client:

Booth School of Business

2020 AERA-Spencer COVID-19 Impact Survey

Examining how the pandemic influenced the experiences of early-career doctorates and doctoral students

Client:

American Educational Research Association; Spencer Foundation

National Study of Faculty Attitudes Toward Academic Freedom

A new study of academic freedom inspired by Paul Lazarsfeld’s 1958 research

Client:

American Association of Colleges and Universities and American Association of University Professors

Enhancing the Admitted Class Evaluation Service™

Improving services that validate college admissions and placement policies

Client:

College Board

Curriculum & Learning Improvement Project Consortium

A data ecosystem supporting middle school math instruction for historically marginalized students

Client:

Gates Foundation

The Survey of Earned Doctorates

The most comprehensive annual census of new research doctorate recipients from U.S. institutions

Client:

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

Survey of Education Attainment

Exploring the impact of both accredited and non-accredited training programs

Client:

ECMC Foundation

Evaluating Oakland Promise’s Cradle-to-Career Programs

NORC’s assessments enable Oakland program to identify past benefits for future funding

Client:

Oakland Promise

Graduate Schools’ Response to COVID-19

A rapid survey details how STEM schools coped with pandemic disruptions

Client:

National Science Foundation

CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs

Assessing whether a student support program leads to more successful degree and career attainment

Client:

City University of New York

Varying Degrees: The State of Higher Education

Tracking changing opinions and trends about college education

Client:

New America

Graduate Research Fellowship Program Pilot Project

Innovating data collection methods to track National Science Foundation research fellowship outcomes

Client:

National Science Foundation

Annual Cenus of Finance Faculty & PhD Students

Tracking demographics to promote greater gender diversity in the finance sector

Client:

American Finance Association (AFA)

Wake Forest University Student Survey

Identifying key issues and concerns on the Wake Forest campus

Client:

Wake Forest University

Evaluating Data “Bootcamp” for Biology Grad Students

NORC helps UChicago faculty assess the value of an immersive week at Woods Hole

Client:

University of Chicago

The College-to-Career Transition in the Chicago Area

Exploring student progress from higher ed to the working world, especially for low-income students

Client:

Circle of Service, CME, Crown Family Philanthropies, Gorter, Family Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, The Mayer & Morris Kaplan Family Foundation, Steans Family Foundation, and Pritzker Traubert Foundation

Booth School of Business Faculty Climate Survey

A survey to assess and improve the climate among faculty members

Client:

Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago

Career Trajectories of STEM Doctoral Students

Studying STEM PhD students’ career trajectories using culturally responsive measures and methods

Client:

National Science Foundation

Improving the Institutional Transformation Assessment

Adding a state policy rubric to enhance a self-assessment tool for colleges

Client:

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Carnegie Institution for Science Climate Study

Assessing the work climate and culture of a major research institution

Client:

Carnegie Institution for Science

The Perch Perspective: Rice University Staff Climate Survey

Assessing employee engagement and satisfaction at Rice University

Client:

Rice University

National Science Foundation Secure Data Access Facility

Ensuring security while expanding access to data on science and engineering graduates

Client:

National Science Foundation

Walden University Diversity and Inclusion Climate Survey

Supporting the online university’s efforts to ensure a strong culture of diversity and inclusion

Client:

Walden University Diversity and Inclusion Working Group

Advancing Metrics for Sexual Harassment Prevention in STEM

Developing metrics to assess sexual harassment prevention, outreach, and response in STEM

Client:

National Science Foundation

Examining Gendered Differences in STEM Persistence

Using ESM to help understand women’s attrition from STEM majors and careers

Funder:

National Science Foundation

Adolescent SBIRT Initiative: Preparing the Health Professional Workforce

Preparing Health Professionals to Screen and Intervene for Youth Substance Use and Mental Health Risk

Client:

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

BU School of Public Health Annual Survey

Helping BUSPH identify the strengths and weaknesses of its programming and resources

Client:

Boston University School of Public Health

Survey of Doctorate Recipients

The only comprehensive data on U.S.-trained doctorate holders in science, engineering, and health

Client:

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics at the National Science Foundation (NCSES/NSF)

Hillel International Campus Climate Review

Understanding the campus experiences of Jewish college students

Client:

Hillel International

American Law School Dean Study

Examining the career pathways of law school deans, challenges encountered, and solutions adopted

Client:

Association of American Law Schools

Oakland Promise Kindergarten to College Evaluation

Assessing efforts to promote a college-going culture among young students and their parents

Client:

Oakland Promise

Administrators’ Views on Campus Life, Diversity, and Politics

A survey finds college administrators are overwhelmingly liberal, even more so than faculty

Client:

American Enterprise Institute

College Mentoring Programs Evaluation

Assessing ways to increase college completion rates for historically underserved students

Client:

ECMC Foundation

Early Childhood Teachers’ Coursework and Children’s Outcomes

Appraising how teachers’ postsecondary education relates to students’ development

Client:

National Institutes of Health

2023 American Law School Faculty Study

Reviewing law school policies and understanding the career pathways of law school teaching faculty

Client:

Association of American Law Schools

Improving Racial Equity in Higher Education Organizations

How the use of a facilitated collaborative affects racial equity in colleges

Client:

William T. Grant Foundation

A Data Dashboard to Promote Postsecondary Success

Developing tools to support college access and equity

Client:

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Survey on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Curricula in Higher Education

Gaining insight into psychedelic-assisted therapy curricula and implementation in U.S. higher education

Client:

BrainFutures

Campus Sexual Assault Responses (CSAR)

The first nationally representative study to investigate campuses’ cooperative approaches to addressing sexual assault

Client:

National Institute of Justice