- What examiners look for in an argument essay
- Education topics
- Technology and media topics
- Health and environment topics
- Ethics and society topics
- A five-paragraph plan that works for any topic
- Turning a topic into a claim
- How to get better argumentative essays
- My advice for choosing a topic
- Frequently asked questions
Here are 32 argumentative essay topics for high school and college, grouped into education, technology, health and environment, and ethics. Each one has a real opposing side, which matters because a strong argumentative essay has to present the counterclaim fairly and answer it, not just list reasons for your own view.
Choosing the topic is half the battle with an argumentative essay. Pick something too broad ('Is technology good?') and you'll drown. Pick something with no real opposition ('Is pollution bad?') and you'll have nothing to argue against. The topics below are narrow enough to research in a week and contested enough that a thoughtful reader could disagree with you, which is exactly what your teacher or examiner wants to see.
What examiners look for in an argument essay
Two official sources set the bar. The Common Core's grade 9 and 10 argument standard asks students to introduce precise claims, distinguish them from opposing claims, and develop claims and counterclaims fairly, showing the strengths and limitations of both. The College Board's AP English Language exam puts argument at the centre too:
| Source | What it expects | What it means for your essay |
|---|---|---|
| Common Core W.9-10.1 | Precise claims, fair counterclaims, strengths and limitations of both | Name the other side's best point and answer it |
| AP English Language | 3 free-response questions in 2 hours 15 minutes, including a 15-minute reading period | Plan fast and keep a tight structure |
| AP synthesis question | Read 6 texts and write an argument citing at least 3 of them | Practise building arguments from sources |
Purdue OWL adds a classic lens: Aristotle's logos, ethos and pathos, meaning the content of your argument, your credibility as a writer, and your appeal to the reader's values. The best essays use all three, with logos doing most of the work.
Education topics
Close to home for students, with plenty of research on both sides.
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Should standardised tests be removed from university admissions?
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Should homework be limited by law in secondary schools?
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Should financial literacy be a required school subject?
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Should schools use AI tools to mark essays?
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Is single-sex education better for students than mixed schools?
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Should the school year be restructured to remove the long summer break?
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Should students be allowed to use phones in class for learning?
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Should higher education be free for all students?
Technology and media topics
Fast-moving issues. Use recent sources and define the technology precisely.
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Should social media companies be legally responsible for harmful content?
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Should there be a minimum age for owning a smartphone?
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Does artificial intelligence threaten more jobs than it creates?
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Should governments be allowed to access encrypted messages?
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Are influencers responsible for the products they promote?
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Should online anonymity be protected?
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Do streaming services harm the film industry?
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Should video games be considered a sport?
Health and environment topics
Evidence-heavy topics that reward careful research and clear definitions.
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Should sugary drinks carry tobacco-style health warnings?
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Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Should meat be taxed to reduce its environmental impact?
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Should single-use plastics be banned completely?
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Should vaccination be required to attend school?
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Is nuclear power a necessary part of tackling climate change?
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Should cities ban cars from their centres?
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Should junk food advertising be banned during children's TV?
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Should governments limit the working week to protect mental health?
Ethics and society topics
Harder, more abstract motions. Define your key terms in the introduction.
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Should the voting age be lowered to sixteen?
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Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos?
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Should statues be removed if the people they honour did serious harm?
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Should wealthy nations accept more refugees?
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Is censorship ever justified in a free society?
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Should genetic editing of human embryos be allowed?
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Should celebrities and politicians have the same right to privacy as everyone else?
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Is it fair to judge people from the past by today's standards?
A five-paragraph plan that works for any topic
If you're short on time, this shape never lets you down. Paragraph one: a hook, brief context and your claim in one clear sentence. Paragraphs two and three: one reason each, with evidence and a sentence explaining why the evidence matters. Paragraph four: the counterclaim, stated as fairly as its strongest supporter would, followed by your answer to it. Paragraph five: a conclusion that restates the claim in fresh words and says why it matters beyond the essay. Longer essays add more reasons or a second counterclaim, but the bones stay the same.
Turning a topic into a claim
A topic is a question; a claim is your answer with a reason attached. 'Should homework be limited?' becomes 'Secondary schools should cap homework because excessive workloads crowd out sleep and reading for pleasure.' Now you know what evidence to look for.
How to get better argumentative essays
- Turn your topic into a precise, arguable claim in one sentence before you research.
- Give the counterclaim its own paragraph and answer it with evidence.
- Use one strong source per point rather than a pile of weak ones.
- Link each paragraph back to your claim, so the reader never wonders why it's there.
- Practise timed planning if you're sitting AP English Language; the free-response section moves quickly.
For more help with essays, my guide to answering questions with confidence uses the same claim-evidence structure, and if you write for publication, my directory of websites that publish essays lists places to pitch.
My advice for choosing a topic
Pick the topic you'd happily argue about at dinner, then check you can find two strong sources for each side before committing. If you can't find a credible opposing view, choose another topic. The essays that score highest aren't the ones with the boldest opinions; they're the ones that take the other side seriously and still win the argument.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good argumentative essay topic?
One that's narrow enough to research and has a credible opposing side, such as whether standardised tests should be removed from university admissions.
What is a counterclaim in an argumentative essay?
The strongest opposing argument. The Common Core asks students to develop claims and counterclaims fairly, pointing out the strengths and limitations of both.
What is the AP English Language synthesis essay?
The College Board says students read 6 texts about a topic and write an argument that cites at least 3 of them.
How long is the AP English Language free-response section?
The College Board says it has 3 questions in 2 hours 15 minutes, including a 15-minute reading period.
How is an argumentative essay different from a persuasive essay?
Both take a side, but an argumentative essay leans on evidence and must engage fairly with counterclaims, while persuasive writing can lean more on emotion.
