Understanding America Study

Welcome

The Understanding America Study (UAS), housed at USC’s Center for Economic and Social Research, is a nationally representative, probability-based Internet panel of approximately 15,000 U.S. residents, including a 3,500-person California oversample. It serves as an open and flexible platform for data collection in the social and health sciences, integrating state-of-the-art survey practices for both longitudinal and cross-sectional research. The UAS collects rich, multifaceted data, including online surveys, genetic samples, wearable device data, administrative linkages, and real-time assessments, to examine a broad array of factors shaping individual and family experiences across the life course. By offering surveys in both English and Spanish and providing Internet-enabled devices when needed, the UAS supports broad participation and accessibility.

To get access to the UAS Data, register here now!

To visualize the UAS data in an interactive manner without registering as a data user, check out the UAS Interactive Data Explorer (opens in a new window).

The UAS is also a versatile data collection platform where investigators may conduct their own innovative research and collect their own data, which can be linked to all existing UAS data. If you are interested in conducting a survey in the UAS, visit our For Clients page!

For any other questions, please write to us!