These 25 Universities Pay You to Participate in Paid Research Studies (Near You!)

So, you can participate from home!

The amount you’ll get paid will vary from university to university and from study to study.

And, of course, you might not be eligible for every one of them. Some studies require people from a certain age group or gender – but there are so many available that you’re sure to find one that you are eligible for.

So, check out these universities and start earning more money!

1. Center for Decision Sciences Columbia Business School

• Where to sign up: https://vlab.decisionsciences.columbia.edu/registration/

The Center for Decision Sciences Columbia Business School pays you to participate in its online studies and surveys.

Pay is $16 an hour.

And, you must:

• Be a fluent English speaker.
• Have a PayPal account to receive payments, or be able to accept an Amazon.com gift certificate.
• Be at least 18 years old.

2. Northwestern University Department of Psychology

• Where to sign up: https://www.psychology.northwestern.edu/research/participate/paid-research-opportunities.htmlv

The Department of Psychology at Northwestern University offers a huge range of studies that pay.

A few examples of studies available include:

• Study on Learning
• Brain Development
• Neural correlates of Problem Solving

How much you’ll earn varies depending on the study. For example, the Study on learning lasts up to an hour, and pay is $12. The Brain Development study pays from $10 to $40 an hour. And the Neural correlates of Problem Solving study pays $60.

3. Purdue University

• Where to sign up: https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/events/researchers-in-various-studies-looking-for-participants.html

Purdue University is another place that offers a number of different paid research studies.

There are quite a few different studies available, which all have different requirements, and range in pay.

Here are a few examples:

• Tolerance to milk with different types of protein – pay $350
• Almond study – pay $400.
• Memory study – pay $10.

4. Carnegie Mellon University

• Where to sign up: https://cbdr.cmu.edu/Participate.aspx

The Center for Behavioral and Decision Research at Carnegie Mellon pays people to participate in research studies.

You’ll have to sign up to the participant pool.

There are both in-person and online studies available.

Online studies take from 5 to 20 minutes, and in-person studies take from 10 minutes to 3 hours.

And, study topics include:

• Personal attitudes and beliefs
• Human judgment and decision-making
• Product preferences
• Interpersonal perceptions
• Group performance

Pay, on average, for in person studies is $10 an hour. For online studies pay is $8 an hour, normally in the form of gift cards.

Here are the eligibility requirements for studies:

• Need to be at least 18 years old.
• Must not already have a participant account.
• Cannot participate in any individual study more than once.
• Need to complete a pre-screen form before signing up for studies.
• Must be able to speak and read English.
• Cannot be a graduate student in Psychology, Organizational Behavior, or Marketing.

5. University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business

• Where to sign up: https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/faculty-research/behavioral-laboratory/participants/studies-pay

Sometimes the University of Maryland has paid research studies available.

You’ll need to create an account with the lab’s online experiment management system (Sona).

After you’ve created your account, you’ll need to log in and sign up to participate in studies.

The university doesn’t say what the requirements are for studies or how much it pays. But, you can learn more by signing up.

6. MIT Behavioral Research Lab

• Where to sign up: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/centers-initiatives/behavioral-research-lab/about

The MIT Behavioral Research Lab pays people to participate in behavioral studies.

Online and in-person studies are available.

You’ll get paid with cash or gift certificates. Plus, you’ll get one entry for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

The amount you will earn varies from study to study, as do the eligibility requirements.

For all studies, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old. You can view the specific eligibility requirements by looking at the description of the study you’re interested in.

7. Yale School of Management

• Where to sign up: https://som.yale.edu/faculty-research-centers/centers-initiatives/som-lab/participate-in-studies

Next up on our list is the Yale School of Management. The SOM Lab often conducts survey and lab studies, and you could participate and get paid.

You’ll need to subscribe to the school’s panel and like its Facebook page.

On the Facebook page, you can also find more details of upcoming studies.

Yale doesn’t give details on eligibility or pay on its website, but if you sign up, you can learn more about what’s available.

8. UCLA Anderson School of Management

• Where to sign up: https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty-and-research/marketing/anderson-behavioral-lab

You can aid researchers at the UCLA Anderson Behavioral Lab in online and in person studies.

There are a variety of study topics, such as:

• Judgment and decision making
• Consumer behavior
• Organizational behavior

UCLA students are eligible to participate in both online and in-lab studies. On the other hand, non-UCLA affiliates are only eligible for online studies.

Most studies pay from $12 to $15 an hour.

9. Harvard University Psychology Study Pool

• Where to sign up: https://studypool.psychology.fas.harvard.edu/

The Department of Psychology at Harvard University administers the Study Pool. This is an online pool of current research studies that you can participate in.

You’ll get paid $10 to $25 an hour, depending on the study.

And, for participating in online studies, you’ll earn gift cards.

And study credits can be earned by Harvard students who are enrolled in psychology courses that require research participation in the Psychology Study Pool. For studies that pay more than $100, you’ll earn $100.

10.Stanford Graduate School of Business

• Where to sign up: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/labs/behavioral-lab/participate-study

You can participate in research studies at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and get paid for it.

There are in-person and online studies available.

You get paid in cash or receive gift cards. Pay averages $25 an hour.

You need to meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have only one Sona account.
• Cannot participate in the same study more than once.
• You must complete a pre-screen form.
• You cannot participate if you are a graduate student in in psychology, organizational behavior, or marketing.

11. Harvard Business School

• Where to sign up: https://www.hbs.edu/behave/Pages/participate.aspx

If you meet the following requirements, then you could get paid to participate in research studies for the Harvard Business School:

• You’re a US citizen or permanent resident
• You are 10 years of age or older.
• You’re fluent in English.
• You can use a computer.

Studies generally last from 1 to 2 hours. Payment is $15 to $25, but can be up to $35 after bonuses.

Payments are higher for longer experiments.

12. Georgetown University

• Where to sign up: https://psychology.georgetown.edu/participate

Georgetown University’s Department of Psychology pays people to participate in studies.

Its research includes a range of topics, like:

• Social behavior
• Cultural differences and similarities
• Stereotyping
• Personality
• Recognition of emotion
• Reasoning
• Impulse control
• Learning
• Memory

Students and non-students can participate in the research and the university states it’s looking for people from different backgrounds and perspectives.

For the studies, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old.

Pay is generally at least $10 an hour.

13. Vanderbilt University

• Where to sign up: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/psychological_sciences/research/studies.php

Vanderbilt University pays people to participate in a variety of research studies about Psychological Sciences.

The studies are conducted by faculty, research fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates at the university. Research involves lab experiments and brain imaging studies on aspects of cognition, perception and emotion.

Payment varies.

14. Columbia Business School

• Where to sign up: https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/behaviorlab/participants/participate_in_a_study

The Columbia Business School needs people to participate in studies.

You’ll need to provide your opinion on things, like your attitudes about the environment. Sometimes you will interact with other people to discuss topics.

Average pay is $16 an hour, and most studies last 15 to 45 minutes, so pay is generally $5 to $12.

You’ll need to be at least 18 years old to participate.

15. University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Where to sign up: https://wishlab.unl.edu/research-studies/active-studies/

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln offers a wide range of studies.

These studies are on a range of topics, and pay for each one varies.

For example, at the time of writing, there’s a study available for people over 60 years old. It’s focused on emotions an MRI research and involves you completing tasks and filling out surveys. You can earn up to $80 for this study.

Another study in the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior takes around 90 minutes. The pay is $20 for one element and $30 for another. Researchers are looking for people aged 19 to 35 years old.

16. The Department of Psychology at Chicago University

• Where to sign up: https://psychology.uchicago.edu/content/join-study

The Department of Psychology at Chicago University runs a number of psychological research studies. Students, staff members, or members of the community of all ages can participate.

The university posts experiments at various times throughout the semester.

Pay is not specified.

17. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Psychology

• Where to sign up: https://psychology.illinois.edu/research/sona-studies-and-paid-experiments/paid-research-system

The University of Illinois has a Psychology Paid Subject Pool that gives people the opportunity to receive payment for participating in studies that are conducted by members of the department.

You’ll need to be at least 18 years old to participate.

Pay is not specified.

18.  The University of Texas at Austin Department of Psychology

• Where to sign up: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/about/Research-Participation.php

The University of Texas at the Austin Department of Psychology often pays people to participate in research studies.

For example, at the time of writing, there’s a study available for African American and Latino cigarette smokers. It pays $20 for an hour of participation.

There’s also a paid video game study available to right-handed female video game players. You get paid $45 an hour and $138 in total.

19. UC Davis

• Where to sign up: https://ucdavispaid.sona-systems.com/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=/

UC Davis pays you with money or gift cards for participating in the Psychology Department’s research studies. And, both students and residents in the broader Davis area can participate in these studies.

Some studies are conducted on campus, off-campus in the City of Davis, or in Sacramento.

How much you’ll money you make, and how much you’ll get paid will vary. Some studies pay cash, and others offer gift cards – some are unpaid. So, make sure you check the study description for more information.

20. Arizona State University Department of Psychology

• Where to sign up: https://psychology.clas.asu.edu/content/research-participation

The Arizona State University Department of Psychology conducts research across its 40+ labs. And, it requires research participants for its studies, many of which pay.

So, this is another university that pays you for participating in research. There are many studies available, on a range of topics, such as memory, cognition, and learning.

Pay is not specified.

21. American University Psychology Department

• Where to sign up: https://www.american.edu/cas/psychology/bphp/participation.cfm

The Psychology Department at the American University offers a range of paid research opportunities.

Each study varies with the topic and the amount it pays. So check the website to see the specific details for each study.

One study available at the time of writing focuses on the effects of cigarette smoking on behavior. So, you’ll obviously need to be a smoker to participate.

Pay is up to $20.

22. University of Colorado Boulder

• Where to sign up: https://www.colorado.edu/today/2018/05/07/paid-research-opportunities-cu-boulder

The University of Colorado Boulder has studies available for both students and non-students.

One study available is about collaboration.

To participate you have to:

• Be a student.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Speak English fluently.
• Have no significant and uncorrected vision impairments.
• Pay in total is $50.

Another study available focuses on the effects of cannabis smoking on the auditory system. You have to be between the ages of 21 to 45, and have been smoking cannabis for at least one year and do not use other recreational drugs. You get paid $15 per hour, for five hours of testing.

Another study is on public speaking and social anxiety – you have to be from 18 to 25 years old. Pay is $32 for the two-part, four-hour study.  And another study about emotion and mood in young adults pays up to $200. You’ll earn $10 an hour in cash.

23. Boston University Behavioral Lab

• Where to sign up: https://www.bu.edu/behaviorallab/

The Boston University Behavioral Lab assists Questrom-affiliated researchers to conduct stimulations, experiments, and scenarios that will help you to develop new knowledge about management and human behavior.

The lab is looking for people who are interested in participating in its studies. These pay between $10 and $20 an hour. Students at the university and the general public can participate in the research.

24.  University of Maryland Department of Psychology

• Where to sign up: https://psyc.umd.edu/undergraduate/participating-research

The Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland conducts research.

And, it requires people to participate in these studies.

Pay is not specified, but you’ll need to sign up for opportunities through the SONA System website.

25.  Washington University (St. Louis MO)

• Where to sign up: https://medicine.wustl.edu/patient-care/clinical-trials/

This is for people in my hometown. If you live in and around St Louis, Wash U has always some kind of paid study going on. For example, currently, they have a few weight loss studies where you may get paid up to $1500.

They also do a lot of clinical trial studies that pay very good money.

Each study has different requirements. The pay, of course, depends on the study.

Closing Thoughts

As you can see, there are so many universities out there that will pay you to participate in research studies.

By the way, if you’re interested, we have a post with a list of paid clinical trials.

And, what’s great is that for most, you don’t need to have any experience. This is such a simple way to make extra money, and you’re helping out universities with important research.

Plus, for some of these studies, you can complete them online, so you don’t even need to leave your home to earn.

And, making money from home is a wonderful thing!

So, whether you’ve been looking to earn more money to add to your savings, or to pay down debts, or are just looking for some extra spending money, consider participating in paid research studies.