Argumentative Essay Topics and How to Choose Them

If you’re given an argumentative essay as an assignment for a college course, you need to put some thought into what you’re going to write about. Good argumentative essay topics will earn you the respect of your teacher. Being able to write persuasively is a skill you will put into practice in your life after college. That’s why this is the perfect opportunity to hone your skills on how to write an argumentative essay.

Choosing argumentative essay topics

Tara Christianson of Yale University recommends that when choosing essay topics, stick to some of these simple rules:

• Current: argument essay topics are compelling if they relate to current events. This can be current coursework or current affairs. Whatever arguments you introduce should be recent and relevant.

• Debatable: you need to phrase your argumentative essay topics in such a way that shows there is an argument to make.

• Researchable: good essay topics typically don’t only have to do with your opinion. You need to do some research and quote credible sources in your debate.

• Manageable: argumentative essay topics for college should not be too broad. If you don’t narrow your topic down to something concise, you’ll be unable to manage the word limit and make a quality argument.

Her final piece of advice is to choose essay topics that you can express sincere passion about. This makes your argument more compelling and interesting.

How to write an argumentative essay

A lot of success comes to essay writers who stick to some basic rules and formats when writing their argumentative essays:

1. Catch the reader’s attention with a unique opening that makes him/her want to read more. You can use a relevant quotation to do this if you choose.

2. Good argumentative essay topics are grounded in reality. They have little or nothing to do with fantasy. Avoid going beyond the realm of what really is.

3. The debate must include arguments from both sides. Have credible sources and quote them to support the argument. A one-sided essay is not an argumentative essay at all. Do extensive research on your topic before writing the essay.

4. You are going to have a personal opinion about the topic which you are to some extent defending. But defend it in a logical, objective way with real arguments that persuade the reader.

5. Try to end the essay on a note that inspires the reader to want to find out more about what you’ve written.

If you’re given the opportunity to write an argumentative essay to write about any topic, think carefully before you choose. Consider the criteria above. If you’re not feeling inspired, you can look at lists of possible essay topics. It’s likely that one will jump out at you and get you itching to write.

Choosing good essay topics

Here are some argumentative essay topics for college you could consider:

1. How the economy would change if taxation laws were amended.

2. The fairness of the college admissions process.

3. An Explanation of the high teenage pregnancy rate.

4. Is there life after death?

5. Can all religions be treated equally?

6. The role of gender in a military career.

7. Standardized testing – accurate or not?

8. Is it your ‘right’ to be left-handed?

9. The pay gap between top management and bottom rung employees – is it fair?

10. The breakdown of the family unit and its effects on society.

These are ideas for easy argumentative essay topics:

1. Are people the cause of climate change?

2. What does ‘love’ really mean?

3. The argument for and against polygamy.

4. Does society view art as a profession or a hobby?

5. Is there potential for a career in philosophy?

6. Does the context of a problem define your response?

7. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones – could anyone else have done it better?

8. How we speak to others defines us as people.

9. Should you dismiss a religion other than your own?

10. Going paperless and how it can change the environment.

These controversial ideas are good argumentative research paper topics. You’ll need to spend quite a bit of time gathering the necessary information.

1. The relationship between religion and war.

2. Celebrities cannot translate their success into political capital.

3. To dabble in politics, prepare to get your hands dirty.

4. Corruption in politics.

5. The current U.S. electoral system and how it prejudices candidates.

6. The impact of feminism on society.

7. Have people’s mindsets moved beyond the Civil Rights era?

8. World hunger and attempts to alleviate it.

9. The relationship between poverty, crime, and recidivism.

10. Smoking advertisements – good or bad?

If you’re thinking about writing an argumentative essay based on an aspect of social media, think about topics along these lines:

1. Exploiting social media for the purpose of election rigging.

2. The value of social media personalities.

3. Black Lives Matter and the quest for social justice.

4. #MeToo – the after effects on the entertainment industry.

5. Does social media rob us of real relationships?

6. Is social media a reflection of people’s real lives.

7. Cyber-bullying and its effects on high school students.

8. Mark Zuckerberg – genius or monopolist?

9. The right to privacy on social media.

10. The effects of social media on consumer spending habits.

Incorporate technology into your argumentative essay with topics such as these:

1. Is your cell phone really killing you?

2. When is the time spent on your devices too much?

3. Technological FOMO – can you beat it?

4. Can your cell phone rule your life?

5. How safe is it to do your banking transactions online?

6. Does tracking your child’s phone invade their privacy?

7. Online competitions – what chance do you stand of winning?

8. Violent video games and their effects on teenagers.

9. How technology will change how people use electricity in the future.

10. Allowing the use of cell phones in schools.

Turn your passion for sports into a viable argumentative essay topic:

1. Is cheating in sports dealt with effectively enough?

2. The risk of injury in sports – is it worth the reward?

3. Sport, its competitive nature, and what it teaches children.

4. Can parents become overinvolved in their children’s sporting activities?

5. Is cheerleading an actual sport?

6. The odds of making it to fame and fortune by following a career in sports.

7. The impact of sports on emotionally vulnerable children.

8. Doping in sports – can it ever be eliminated completely?

9. The VAR (Video Assistant Referee) – will it improve the accuracy of the outcomes of games?

10. Why soccer is known all over the world as the ‘beautiful game.’