200 Best Argumentative Essay Topics For College Students

Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas for College

Part 1:What is an Argumentative Essay?

An argument essay is an essay that seeks to persuade an audience to see the writer’s point.Thus, an argumentative essay requires the student to investigate a topic, collect evidence, and evaluate evidence in order to clearly establish a point of view on the topic chosen.

Part 2: Is an argumentative essay the same as a persuasive essay?

Most students often ask whether there is a difference between argumentative essay vs persuasive essay. The answer is yes.Here are three differences between persuasive and argumentative writing:

1. The goal with argumentative writing is not to take a stand and persuade, but rather to summarize a text, and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree, providing solid evidence.

2. Students can qualify with argumentative writing by providing reasons and examples from the text provided and from their previous readings, own experiences, and observations to support their opinions, and discuss the extent to which they agree or disagree.

3. Argumentative writing recognizes the balance of incorporating different perspectives on the argument, but with solid support, argues distinctly for one.

The chart below further discusses the main differences:

Part 3:

What Is The Outline For An Argumentative Essay?

Like most essays, an argumentative essay has three parts: introduction, body, and the conclusion. Below are explanations of what to do in each of these parts:

1. Introduction:

   explain the thesis (be precise but do not present evidence yet)

2. Body:

   The body is made up of a number of paragraphs, each with a topic sentence (main argument of the paragraph), followed by further illustration and specific examples to support the topic sentence.

3. Conclusion:

   quick summary of thesis; then muse on implications of the thesis

Part 4:Interesting Topics to Write anArgumentative EssayOn

As discussed above, anargumentative essayusesreasoning and evidence - not emotion - to take a definitive stand on a controversial or debatable issue.This is one of the most common type of writing in a students' career. The first step to writing an argumentative paper is to choose a controversial topic to defend or argue against.Here, we have gathered a list of 200 topic for argumentative writing that you can use to write your paper arranged by categories.

Argumentative Essay Topics on Technology and Social Media

1. Are the Web Filters at Your School Too Restrictive?

2. Does Technology Make Us More Alone?

3. Are You Distracted by Technology?

4. Do Apps Help You or Just Waste Your Time?

5. Do You Spend Too Much Time on Smart Phones Playing ‘Stupid Games’?

6. Has Facebook Lost Its Edge?

7. Does Facebook Ever Make You Feel Bad?

8. Should What You Say on Facebook Be Grounds for Getting Fired?

9. Should People Be Allowed to Obscure Their Identities Online?

10. What Should the Punishment Be for Acts of Cyberbullying?

11. Is Online Learning as Good as Face-to-Face Learning?

12. Do Your Teachers Use Technology Well?

13. Should Tablet Computers Become the Primary Way Students Learn in Class?

14. Can Cellphones Be Educational Tools?

15. Should Computer Games Be Used for Classroom Instruction?

16. How Young Is Too Young for an iPhone?

17. Should Companies Collect Information About You?

18. Would You Trade Your Paper Books for Digital Versions?

19. Are Digital Photographs Too Plentiful to Be Meaningful?

20. Do You Worry We Are Filming Too Much?

21. Would You Want a Pair of Google’s Computer Glasses?

22. How Would You Feel About a Computer Grading Your Essays?

23. What Role Will Robots Play in Our Future?

24. How Many Text Messages Are Too Many?

25. How Much Do You Trust Online Reviews?

Argumentative Essay Topics On Education

1. Is Cheating Getting Worse?

2. Should Students Be Able to Grade Their Teachers?

3. Does Your School Hand Out Too Many A’s?

4. Should Middle School Students Be Drug Tested?

5. Should Reading and Math Be Taught in Gym Class Too?

6. How Seriously Should We Take Standardized Tests?

7. How Well Do You Think Standardized Tests Measure Your Abilities?

8. Do You Spend Too Much Time Preparing for Standardized Tests?

9. Should Schools Offer Cash Bonuses for Good Test Scores?

10. Should We Rethink How Long Students Spend in High School?

11. Do Schools Provide Students With Enough Opportunities to Be Creative?

12. What Are You Really Learning at School?

13. How Important Is Arts Education?

14. Does Gym Help Students Perform Better in All Their Classes?

15. Who Should Be Able to See Students’ Records?

16. Are Children of Illegal Immigrants Entitled to a Public Education?

17. What Is the Right Amount of Group Work in School?

18. Is Your School Day Too Short?

19. Do You Think a Longer School Calendar Is a Good Idea?

20. Should the Dropout Age Be Raised?

21. Should Students Be Allowed to Skip Senior Year of High School?

22. How Does Your School Deal With Students Who Misbehave?

23. Should Schools Be Allowed to Use Corporal Punishment?

24. How Big a Problem Is Bullying or Cyberbullying in Your School or Community?

25. How Should Schools Address Bullying?

26. Should Schools Put Tracking Devices in Students’ ID Cards?

27. What Do You Think of Grouping Students by Ability in Schools?

28. Do We Need a New Way to Teach Math?

29. Does Class Size Matter?

30. Should All Students Get Equal Space in a Yearbook?

31. Is Prom Worth It?

32. How Important Are Parent-Teacher Conferences?

33. Should All Children Be Able to Go to Preschool?

34. Should Colleges Use Admissions Criteria Other Than SAT Scores and Grades?

35. What Criteria Should Be Used in Awarding Scholarships for College?

36. Do You Support Affirmative Action?

37. Do College Rankings Matter?

38. How Necessary Is a College Education?

39. Should Engineers Pay Less for College Than English Majors?

Argumentative Essay Topics on Sports and Athletics

1. If Football Is So Dangerous to Players, Should We Be Watching It?

2. Should Parents Let Their Children Play Football?

3. Should College Football Players Get Paid?

4. When Do Pranks Cross the Line to Become Bullying?

5. Has Baseball Lost Its Cool?

6. Are Some Youth Sports Too Intense?

7. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams to Use Native American Names and Mascots?

8. Where Should Colleges and Sports Teams Draw the Line in Selling Naming Rights?

9. Should Colleges Fund Wellness Programs Instead of Sports?

10. IsCheer-leadinga Sport?

11. How Big a Deal Is It That an N.B.A. Player Came Out as Gay?

12. Should There Be Stricter Rules About How Coaches Treat Their Players?

13. Should Athletes Who Dope Have to Forfeit Their Titles and Medals?

14. Should Sports Betting Be Legal Everywhere?

15. Should Home-Schoolers Be Allowed to Play Public School Sports?

16. Would You Want a Bike Share Program for Your Community?

Sample Argumentative Essay Topics On Health and fitness

1. should healthcare be considered a right?

2. Is the hybrid American Health care system sustainable or will it collapse back to the state it was at prior to the recent passing of laws?

3. Should Cosmetic surgery be covered by insurance?

4. should alternate medicines be covered by insurance?

5. Can mental health clinics be attached to American high schools?

6. What is the real cost of medicine, and why are health care costs so high in the first place?

7. Why do people go to other countries for health care?

8. How is the state of corruption in the Eastern European health care system affecting the healthcare decisions of patients?

9. Is male circumcision ethical?

10. Is female circumcision ethical?

11. Is the compensation financially for doctors too high, are they exploiting people in need of health care?

12. What everyday things can people do to avoid seeing a doctor?

Good Argumentative Essay Topics On Immigration

1. Does the Government do Effective Health Screening, on New Immigrants?

2. How does Legal Immigration affect the workplace?

3. How does Illegal Immigration affect the Workplace?

4. What are the costs of Illegal Immigration?

5. How does Immigration affect the Market?

6. What is the cost of Immigration in the School System?

7. Does Port Security have an Effect on Illegal Immigration, and How Much?

8. How does Illegal Immigration affect the Workplace?

9. What does Illegal Immigration Bring to the Country?

10. Is Anti-Illegal Immigration Laws Effective?

11. What are the Costs of Illegal Immigration?

12. Do present Security Checks Protect Us from Hostile Immigration?

13. How does Immigration affect the Workplace?

14. What does Immigration Bring to the Country?

15. How effective is Profiling in Screening New Immigrants, and is it Used?

Argumentative Essay Topic on Arts and Media:

1. Why Do We Like to Watch Rich People on TV and in the Movies?

2. Do TV Shows Like ‘16 and Pregnant’ Promote or Discourage Teenage Pregnancy?

3. Does TV Capture the Diversity of America Yet?

4. Is TV Too White?

5. Is TV Stronger Than Ever, or Becoming Obsolete?

6. Does Reality TV Promote Dangerous Stereotypes?

7. What Current Musicians Do You Think Will Stand the Test of Time?

8. What Artists or Bands of Today Are Destined for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

9. What Musician, Actor or Author Should Be a Superstar, but Hasn’t Quite Made It Yet?

10. Will Musical Training Make You More Successful?

11. Should Video Games Be Considered a Sport?

12. Should Stores Sell Violent Video Games to Minors?

13. Can a Video Game Be a Work of Art?

14. Do Violent Video Games Make People More Violent in Real Life?

15. When Should You Feel Guilty for Killing Zombies?

16. What Game Would You Like to Redesign?

17. What Were the Best Movies You Saw in the Past Year?

18. To What Writer Would You Award a Prize?

19. Do You Prefer Your Children’s Book Characters Obedient or Contrary?

20. Where Is the Line Between Truth and Fiction?

21. Can Graffiti Ever Be Considered Art?

22. Do We Need Art in Our Lives?

23. What Makes a Good Commercial?

24. Why Did a Cheerios Ad Attract So Many Angry Comments Online?

25. Does Pop Culture Deserve Serious Study?

26. Argumentative Essay Topic on Gender Issues

27. Do Parents Have Different Hopes and Standards for Their Sons Than for Their Daughters?

28. Is School Designed More for Girls Than Boys?

29. Is There Too Much Pressure on Girls to Have ‘Perfect’ Bodies?

30. How Much Pressure Do Boys Face to Have the Perfect Body?

31. Do Photoshopped Images Make You Feel Bad About Your Own Looks?

32. Is It O.K. for Men and Boys to Comment on Women and Girls on the Street?

33. What Should We Do to Fight Sexual Violence Against Young Women?

34. How Do You Feel About Rihanna and Chris Brown Getting Back Together?

35. Do Fraternities Promote Misogyny?

36. Why Aren’t There More Girls in Leadership Roles?

37. Why Aren’t More Girls Choosing to Pursue Careers in Math and Science?

38. Should Women Be Allowed to Fight on the Front Lines Alongside Men?

39. Do You Believe in Equal Rights for Women and Men?

40. Are Women Better at Compromising and Collaborating?

41. Do Boys Have Less Intense Friendships Than Girls?

42. Argumentative Essay Topic on Politics and the Legal System

43. What Local Problems Do You Think Your Mayor Should Try to Solve?

44. If You Were Governor of Your State, How Would You Spend a Budget Surplus?

45. When Is the Use of Military Force Justified?

46. What Is More Important: Our Privacy or National Security?

47. Should the U.S. Be Spying on Its Friends?

48. Do You Trust Your Government?

49. What Do You Think of the Police Tactic of Stop-and-Frisk?

50. Do Rich People Get Off Easier When They Break the Law?

51. Should Rich People Have to Pay More Taxes?

52. Do Laws That Ban Offensive Words Make the World a Better Place?

53. Is It Principled, or Irresponsible, for Politicians to Threaten a Shutdown?

54. Do Leaders Have Moral Obligations?

55. Do Great Leaders Have to Be Outgoing?

56. How Should We Prevent Future Mass Shootings?

57. Should Guns Be Permitted on College Campuses?

58. Would You Feel Safer With Armed Guards Patrolling Your School?

59. What Is Your Relationship With Guns?

60. Do You Support or Oppose the Death Penalty?

61. When Should Juvenile Offenders Receive Life Sentences?

62. Parenting and Childhood

63. Do We Give Children Too Many Trophies?

64. When Do You Become an Adult?

65. When Should You Be Able to Buy Cigarettes, Drink Alcohol, Vote, Drive and Fight in Wars?

66. Should the Morning-After Pill Be Sold Over the Counter to People Under 17?

67. Should Birth Control Pills Be Available to Teenage Girls Without a Prescription?

68. Is Modern Culture Ruining Childhood?

69. Are Adults Hurting Young Children by Pushing Them to Achieve?

70. How, and by Whom, Should Children Be Taught Appropriate Behavior?

71. What Can Older People Learn From Your Generation?

72. Do ‘Shame and Blame’ Work to Change Teenage Behavior?

73. How Should Children Be Taught About Puberty and Sex?

74. Is Dating a Thing of the Past?

75. How Should Parents Handle a Bad Report Card?

76. Should Children Be Allowed to Wear Whatever They Want?

77. How Should Educators and Legislators Deal With Minors Who ‘Sext’?

78. Do You Think Child Stars Have It Rough?

79. Argumentative Essay Topic on Health and Nutrition

80. Is Smoking Still a Problem Among Teenagers?

81. Are Antismoking Ads Effective?

82. Is Drinking and Driving Still a Problem for Teenagers?

83. Do You Think a Healthier School Lunch Program Is a Lost Cause?

84. How Concerned Are You About Where Your Food Comes From?

85. Is It Ethical to Eat Meat?

86. Do You Prefer Your Tacos ‘Authentic’ or ‘Appropriated’?

87. Should the Government Limit the Size of Sugary Drinks?

88. Should Marijuana Be Legal?

89. Should Students Be Required to Take Drug Tests?

Argumentative Essay Topic on Personal Character and Morality Questions

1. Do Bystanders Have a Responsibility to Intervene When There is Trouble?

2. Should You Care About the Health and Safety of Those Making Your Clothing?

3. Can Money Buy You Happiness?

4. Does Buying and Accumulating More and More Stuff Make Us Happier?

5. Are We Losing the Art of Listening?

6. Do People Complain Too Much?

7. Can Kindness Become Cool?

8. Which Is More Important: Talent or Hard Work?

9. How Important Is Keeping Your Cool?

10. When Should You Compromise?

11. Is Your Generation More Self-Centered Than Earlier Generations?

12. Can You Be Good Without God?

13. Have Curse Words Become So Common They Have Lost Their Shock Value?

14. What Words or Phrases Should Be Retired in 2014?

15. What Words or Phrases Do You Think Are Overused?

16. Should Couples Live Together Before Marriage?

17. How Important Do You Think It Is to Marry Someone With the Same Religion?

18. How Long Is It O.K. to Linger in a Cafe or Restaurant?

19. Does Keeping a Messy Desk Make People More Creative?

20. How Important Is Keeping a Clean House?

Science Related Argumentative Essay Topics

1. Should Scientists Try to Help People Beat Old Age So We Can Live Longer Lives?

2. Given Unlimited Resources, What Scientific or Medical Problem Would You Investigate?

3. When Is It O.K. to Replace Human Limbs With Technology?

4. Do You Think Life Exists — or Has Ever Existed — Somewhere Besides Earth?

5. Should Fertilized Eggs Be Given Legal ‘Personhood’?

6. How Concerned Are You About Climate Change?

Other Questions To Base An Argumentative Essay On:

1. Is It Wrong for a Newspaper to Publish a Front-Page Photo of a Man About to Die?

2. What Causes Should Philanthropic Groups Finance?

3. Should Charities Focus More on America?

4. Should the Private Lives of Famous People Be Off Limits?

5. Did a Newspaper Act Irresponsibly by Publishing the Addresses of Gun Owners?

6. Would You Rather Work From Home or in an Office?

7. What Time Should Black Friday Sales Start?

8. Do You Shop at Locally Owned Businesses?

9. How Much Does Your Neighborhood Define Who You Are?