Paid Research Studies at USC
Get paid $50–$300+ for online research studies, surveys, and remote focus groups open to CA residents at USC, plus in-person studies at USC when available. USC recruits from two Los Angeles campuses — University Park near downtown and the Health Sciences campus east of it — and sits inside the entertainment industry's consumer-research market.
Online studies open to CA residents
229 online studies are open to anyone in CA right now — take part from home, on your schedule, plus 9 in-person studies at USC.
Focus Group in LA on Social Issues - $375
What are your thoughts on social issues affecting society? Join an in-person focus group in Westwood, Los Angeles, on October 23, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (9:30 AM arrival). Receive $375 for the full session or $175 if dismissed within the first hour. If you are interested in participating, please sign up and take the survey to see if you qualify! Space is limited, subject to availability. Criteria for qualification are subject to change at any time and without notice.
Focus Group in LA on Exercise - $350
How does exercise fit into your everyday life? Join a 90-minute in-home research interview in LA from November 4-6, with a mandatory 45-minute homework task. Receive $200 for the interview and $150 for the pre-task, for a total of $350. If you are interested in participating, please sign up and take the survey to see if you qualify! Space is limited, subject to availability. Criteria for qualification are subject to change at any time and without notice.
Focus Group in LA on Gaming / Entertainment - #325
Are you interested in gaming and entertainment? Join an in-home research study in Los Angeles from November 2-6, featuring a 2.5-hour interview and 30-minute homework assignment. Receive $325 for your time and feedback. If you are interested in participating, please sign up and take the survey to see if you qualify! Space is limited, subject to availability. Criteria for qualification are subject to change at any time and without notice.
Focus Group in LA on Yellowstone TV Show - $250
Are you a passionate fan of the Yellowstone TV series? Participants are invited to a 150-minute in-person focus group about the Yellowstone universe and its spin-offs like 1883 and 1923. Qualified participants will receive $250 if completed by November 1, 2026. If you are interested in participating, please sign up and take the survey to see if you qualify! Spots are limited and tend to fill fast. Applying doesn't guarantee a slot, and qualification criteria may change at any time without notice.
Focus Group in LA on Last War & Whiteout Survival - $250
Are you a fan of kingdom-building games like Last War: Survival or Whiteout Survival? Participants are invited to a 150-minute in-person focus group about these engaging games. Qualified participants will receive $250 if completed by November 2, 2026. If you are interested in participating, please sign up and take the survey to see if you qualify! Spots are limited and tend to fill fast. Applying doesn't guarantee a slot, and qualification criteria may change at any time without notice.
Focus Group in LA on Mobile Strategy Games - $250
Are you a fan of mobile strategy games like Clash of Kings or Evony? Participants are invited to a 180-minute in-person focus group about kingdom-building games and player experiences. Qualified participants will receive $250 if completed by November 1, 2026. If you are interested in participating, please sign up and take the survey to see if you qualify! Spots are limited and tend to fill fast. Applying doesn't guarantee a slot, and qualification criteria may change at any time without notice.
Focus Group in LA on Technology - $175
Interested in testing new technology? Join a 90-minute technology research study in the Los Angeles area starting in October 2026. Receive $175 for your participation. Parents with children and individuals of all ages are welcome to apply, and friends and family may participate together, with scheduling arranged as closely as possible. If you are interested in participating, please sign up and take the survey to see if you qualify! Space is limited, subject to availability. Criteria for qualification are subject to change at any time and without notice.
Focus Group in LA on Entertainment for Parents - $165
How do your young children enjoy entertainment? Join an in-person research study in Los Angeles for parents of children ages 3-6, along with 1-2 of their friends, on November 3. Receive $165 for a 30-minute session and a mandatory pre-task. If you are interested in participating, please sign up and take the survey to see if you qualify! Space is limited, subject to availability. Criteria for qualification are subject to change at any time and without notice.
Focus Group in LA on Entertainment - $125
What are your thoughts on entertainment? Join a 60-minute in-person research study at Adler Weiner in Westwood, Los Angeles, on October 27, 28, or 29. Receive $125 for your time and feedback. If you are interested in participating, please sign up and take the survey to see if you qualify! Space is limited, subject to availability. Criteria for qualification are subject to change at any time and without notice.
How to get paid for research studies at USC
Most paid research open to USC is now online — remote focus groups over video, online interviews, paid surveys, product tests, and diary studies you can do from home, open to anyone in CA. USC recruits from two Los Angeles campuses — University Park near downtown and the Health Sciences campus east of it — and sits inside the entertainment industry's consumer-research market. StudySnag aggregates these into one feed so you don't have to hunt across panels, Craigslist, and university boards.
Most studies pay $50–$300, and paid clinical trials can pay significantly more. Because the studies are remote, you can take part whether you're near University Park or Exposition Park or anywhere else in CA — and in-person focus groups and trials at USC are listed here whenever recruiters are running them.
Not tied to USC specifically? Browse paid studies near you, or go straight to paid psychology studies and other ways to get paid for your opinion.
USC's position near downtown puts it in a different part of the LA research market than UCLA's Westside: more studio and media audience testing, and Keck's clinical recruiting on the eastern campus.
Getting started is free: create an account, tell us a little about yourself, and browse the studies you qualify for at USC. Registering takes one tap, and you're paid directly by the research panel on completion.
Who runs paid research at USC
- The Keck School of Medicine
- USC's medical campus, several miles east of the main one near downtown, running clinical trials that recruit from surrounding East Los Angeles neighbourhoods as much as from students.
- The Marshall behavioural lab
- Short business-school experiments on decision-making, paying cash and easy to qualify for.
- Studio and media audience research
- USC sits close to downtown and the entertainment industry, and students are recruited for screening and audience testing that has nothing to do with the university.
What paid studies at USC actually pay
USC's position matters more than its programmes. It is in a different part of the Los Angeles research market from UCLA — closer to downtown and the studios, further from the Westside consumer facilities — so the entertainment and media research reaching USC students is a genuinely separate stream from what a UCLA student sees. Campus behavioural experiments pay small cash amounts; Keck's clinical studies pay on the medical scale; audience testing sits in between and is the most specific to being here.
Getting to in-person studies at USC
The Metro E Line runs past the main campus, which makes downtown and the Westside reachable without driving — worth knowing in a city where that is rarely true. The Keck campus is a separate trip to the east, and the university runs shuttles between the two.
When recruiting picks up at USC
Campus recruiting follows the semester. Audience and media testing tracks the production calendar rather than the academic one, so it continues through the summer when departmental studies stop.
Paid research studies at USC — FAQ
How is USC different from UCLA for paid studies?+
Location, mostly. USC sits near downtown and the entertainment industry, so its students see more studio and media audience research. UCLA is on the Westside, closer to the consumer research facilities and its own large neuroscience institute. The academic programmes are comparable; the surrounding markets are not.
How is this different from the Los Angeles page?+
This page covers research recruiting through USC — the Marshall lab, departmental studies, and Keck. The Los Angeles page covers the whole regional market, including automotive clinics, Westside consumer facilities, and film testing, which recruit LA residents generally.
How much do paid research studies at USC pay?+
Most paid studies for USC participants pay between $50 and $300, while clinical trials can pay much more. You'll always see the exact payout before you register.
Are there online paid studies for USC students?+
Yes. Many studies are fully online and open to anyone in CA, so you can take part from University Park or anywhere nearby. In-person focus groups and clinical trials are also listed when available.
Do I need to be a student to join?+
No — anyone US-based can join. USC students are especially in demand, but it's open to everyone.
How do I get started?+
Create a free StudySnag account, tell us a bit about yourself, and browse the studies you qualify for at USC. Registering for a study takes one tap.
Paid research studies in other cities
Paid research studies for students
How much do paid research studies at USC pay?
Paid research studies open to CA residents and USC students typically pay $50–$300+, and clinical trials pay more; the top study on StudySnag right now pays $375. Right now 229 online studies are open to anyone in CA, plus 9 in-person studies at USC. You always see the exact payout before you register, and it's free to join.
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