Browse a list of argumentative essay topics for High School (Grade 12 Class 12, Grade 11 Class 11, Grade 10 Class 10), College and University Students.

What is an argumentative essay?

The argumentative essay is a very specific kind of writing in which a learner selects a topic (often a controversial topic), researches it extensively, and then uses the evidence gathered in their research process to establish their position on the topic in an essay designed to persuade others.

5 Common Characteristics of an argumentative essay

The following five features make up the structure of an argumentative essay:

1. Introduction and thesis
2. Opposing and qualifying ideas
3. Strong evidence in support of claim
4. Style and tone of language
5. A compelling conclusion

34 Argumentative essay Topics for College and Grade 12 Class 12 Students

1. Does your vote count?
2. Does diversity in media matter?
3. Does the wage gap really exist?
4. What should be done about gun control in the countries (choose a specific country)?
5. Does the average citizen need to have the right to own a gun?
6. Should marijuana be legalized?
7. Should religion have a place in government?
8. Should students be allowed to choose their own classes (as they do in college) from a younger age?
9. Is net neutrality important?
10. Is single-sex education beneficial or harmful to students?
11. What should young people be given more credit for?
12. Is the widespread increased use of technology good for young children—or does it harm their development?
13. How is the President doing at his job?
14. What is the greatest threat to our environment?
15. Should we be investing in space exploration?
    
16. Is the development of technology that automates jobs previously held by real people good or bad for our society?
17. Is celebrity culture harmful or harmless? Why?
18. What types of restrictions should there be on abortions?
19. How involved should South Africa get in conflicts in other African countries?
20. Should employers be required to pay a living wage?
21. What is the line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation?
22. Do corporations have social responsibilities to their customers?
23. Should there be restrictions or laws on what types of bathrooms trans people can use?
24. What types of academic requirements should student athletes have to meet in order to maintain their eligibility to compete?
25. The Electoral College—effective or outdated?
26. Which branch of government is the most important?
27. Is homeschooling good for students?
28. Should hate speech be protected under free speech?
29. Should an employer be able to fire someone if the employer has a problem with the employee’s race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, identity, etc.?
30. Are GMO foods good or bad for our country?
31. What levels of education do people really need in order to be qualified to enter the workforce?
32. Do our schools today adequately prepare students for the real world?
33. What is the best way for the average person to make a difference?
34. Should people who make more money pay taxes on a higher percentage of their income?

Advanced Argumentative essay topics for University and College Students

Technology Argumentative essay topics

1. Should social media platforms be banned from collecting their users’ data?
2. Should companies have to hire human workers overusing autonomous machines?
3. Should cell phones be banned from vehicles?
4. Has the internet made society better?
5. Should parents limit screen time for kids?
6. Should everyone get the internet for free?
7. Is technology too isolating?
8. Should cyber-bullying carry legal consequences?

Health Argumentative essay topics

1. Are GMOs good for us or bad for us?
2. Should schools require vaccinations for students?
3. Would universal healthcare improve healthcare access?
4. Should medical professionals be allowed to market pharmaceuticals to their patients?
5. Should parents limit the number of activities their kids participate in?
6. Are kids more depressed than they used to be?
7. Is there too much focus on diets in society?
8. Is fasting healthy?
9. Does our society undervalue sleep?
10. Are car seats effective at keeping children safe in car crashes?
11. Is physical health more important than mental health?
12. Should vaccinations be compulsory for all South African citizens?

Government-related Argumentative essay topics

1. Should climate change be a governmental issue?
2. Would America function better without the electoral college?
3. Should America automate voter registration?
4. Should all states provide automatic mail-in ballots for elections?
5. Should people serving prison sentences be allowed to vote?
6. Should Americans vote on and elect Supreme Court justices?
7. Should unpaid internships be illegal?
8. Should the government increase the federal minimum wage?
9. Should the government provide everyone with a universal basic income?
10. Should corporations pay more taxes?
11. Should the government regulate what we eat?
12. Should the government impose term limits on Congresspeople?
13. Should South Africa have an official language?
14. Should the drinking age in South Africa be lowered to 18?
15. Should personal ownership of guns be illegal?
16. Should the government be blamed for the current national obesity rate?
17. Should military service be compulsory in South Africa?
18. Should smoking in public be illegal?
19. Should alcohol sales be illegal between midnight and noon?
20. Should the voting age in South Africa be raised to 21?
21. Should the government be able to censor people on the internet?
22. Are the current political fundraising rules effective?
23. Is South African immigration policy effective?
24. Is the South African Constitution outdated?

Education Argumentative essay topics

1. Should colleges and universities have to pay their student athletes?
2. Should public schools allow student-led religious clubs and organizations?
3. Should schools require students to say the Pledge of Allegiance?
4. Should schools require their students to wear school uniforms?
5. Should physical education classes be graded?
6. Should college and university be free like elementary, middle and high school?
7. Should college students be prohibited from participating in Greek life?
8. Should art classes be compulsory in school?
9. Should music and other types of art be free online?
10. Should students who cheat on tests be punished?
11. Should schools limit the use of computers and other technology for students?
12. Is single-sex education better than co-education?
13. Should schools run year round?
14. Should schools abolish homework?
15. Should all students receive free breakfast and lunch at school?
16. Is private education too competitive?
17. Should teachers be held accountable for poor test scores?
18. Should high school students get to choose which classes they take?
19. Should students be required to learn a foreign language?
20. Should teachers assign grades to students?
21. Are standardized tests effective?
22. Do sports hurt academic performance in teenagers?
23. Should students be allowed to use computers for research when taking tests?
24. Should high school graduates take a gap year before beginning their careers or going to college?
25. Should the school day start after 9 am?
26. Is online learning effective?
27. Should middle and high school students be required to work part-time?
28. Should teachers earn more money?
29. Should parents be punished if their kids skip school?
30. Should college be compulsory for all kids?
31. Should students have the option of grading their teachers?
32. Should schools allow corporal punishment?
33. Are schools safer with armed guards?
34. Should school libraries ban certain books from students?

Environmental Argumentative essay topics

1. Do electric vehicles decrease overall emissions?
2. Is the seemingly increased frequency of natural disasters a result of climate change?

Economic Argumentative essay topics

1. Should companies have to provide paid parental leave?
2. Should all companies offer paternity leave?
3. Is the current American tax system fair?
4. Should there be a salary cap for celebrities like athletes and actors?
5. Do CEOs make too much money?
6. Should most companies move to a four-day workweek?
7. Is there an income inequality problem in South Africa?
8. Are workers more productive at home?

Sports Argumentative essay topics

1. Should women be allowed to play professional sports on men’s teams?
2. Are designated hitters good or bad for the sport of baseball?
3. Should dance be an Olympic sport?
4. Should steroid users be banned from their sport forever?
5. Should tackle football be illegal for kids under 18 years old?
6. Does the use of helmets in sports like football and hockey make playing more dangerous?
7. Should professional athletes and professional coaches make the same amount of money?

Ethics-related Argumentative essay topics

1. Should social media sites regulate and censor user posts?
2. Are humans and our actions responsible for climate change?
3. Should the death penalty be illegal?
4. Should torture ever be allowed?
5. Should influencers be allowed to market products?
6. Are curfews for teenagers effective?
7. Is animal testing moral?
8. Should smoking cigarettes be illegal?
9. Should public video surveillance be illegal?
10. Should people be fined for not recycling?
11. Are children too coddled?
12. Should marketing designed for kids be illegal?
13. Should society hold celebrities to a high moral standard?
14. Should violent video games be illegal?
15. Do violent video games cause people to act more violently?
16. Are beauty pageants dangerous for the participants?
17. Should drugs be legal?
18. Is affirmative action effective
19. Is cloning unethical?
20. Are social protests effective?
21. Should there be a limit to the number of children a person can have?
22. Should fur coats be illegal?
23. Should drunk drivers have their driver’s licenses permanently revoked?
24. Is graffiti an act of vandalism or the creation of art?

Religion Argumentative essay topics

1. Should religious groups and organizations have to pay taxes like businesses do?
2. Should religion be a required course in school?
3. Should all clergy people be allowed to marry and have children?

Sources:

https://nerdify.medium.com/10-things-i-did-to-fail-my-argumentative-essay-6047556e209

https://www.journalbuddies.com/

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/argumentative-essay-topics

https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-are-the-three-characteristics-of-argumentative-essay/