250+ Persuasive Essay Topics for Every Subject

Persuasive Essay Topics for Students

The first step of writing a persuasive essay is to choose an interesting topic. If you are not sure what topic is best to write your persuasive essay on, this article is for you.

Here are some good topics for a persuasive writing assignment that will help you craft an interesting essay.

Education & School Policy Persuasive Essay Topics 

From school dress codes to standardized testing, these topics address real debates happening in education right now.

1. Should schools eliminate standardized testing?
2. Should college athletes be paid for their performance?
3. Should schools ban homework for elementary students?
4. Should cursive writing still be taught in schools?
5. Should schools start later to improve student sleep?
6. Should students be allowed to use phones during lunch?
7. Should community college be tuition free?
8. Should schools teach financial literacy as a required subject?
9. Should students be required to take physical education every year?
10. Should schools eliminate class rank systems?
11. Should schools implement year-round schedules?
12. Should textbooks be replaced entirely with digital materials?
13. Should students be allowed to grade their teachers?
14. Should schools eliminate letter grades in favor of pass/fail?
15. Should schools ban junk food from cafeterias?
16. Should parents be fined for students' chronic truancy?
17. Should schools teach coding as a foreign language option?
18. Should students be required to complete community service to graduate?
19. Should schools eliminate valedictorian and salutatorian titles?
20. Should students be allowed to design their own curriculum?
21. Should schools implement mandatory mental health education?
22. Should schools eliminate tracking systems that separate students by ability?
23. Should colleges eliminate legacy admissions?
24. Should schools teach media literacy as a core subject?
25. Should schools ban competitive grading systems?

Persuasive Essay Topics on Technology & Social Media 

Technology shapes everything we do. These topics explore the real impact, good and bad.

1. Should there be a minimum age requirement for social media?
2. Should tech companies be required to protect user privacy by default?
3. Should schools allow students to use AI tools like ChatGPT for homework?
4. Should social media platforms be held liable for harmful content?
5. Should governments regulate how algorithms recommend content?
6. Should facial recognition technology be banned in public spaces?
7. Should companies be required to disclose when they use AI in hiring?
8. Should tech companies be broken up to prevent monopolies?
9. Should encrypted messaging apps be required to provide government backdoors?
10. Should self-driving cars be allowed on public roads?
11. Should video games be regulated like movies with age ratings?
12. Should schools teach coding starting in elementary school?
13. Should smartphone manufacturers be required to make devices repairable?
14. Should governments tax robots that replace human workers?
15. Should social media companies verify user identities?
16. Should children under 13 be banned from using tablets unsupervised?
17. Should internet access be considered a human right?
18. Should companies be allowed to use biometric data for marketing?
19. Should students be required to learn about digital citizenship?
20. Should tech companies be required to make products accessible to people with disabilities?
21. Should streaming services be required to label AI-generated content?
22. Should there be limits on screen time for children?
23. Should tech companies be required to report cyberbullying to authorities?
24. Should social media platforms pay users for their content and data?
25. Should virtual reality therapy be covered by insurance?

Remember! Before you start writing, creating a clear, persuasive essay outline helps organize your arguments, evidence, and counterpoints for a stronger, more convincing essay.

Environmental & Climate Persuasive Essay Topics

Climate change, pollution, and sustainability, these topics matter more every year.

1. Should single use plastics be banned nationwide?
2. Should governments subsidize electric vehicles?
3. Should companies be required to use renewable energy by 2030?
4. Should meat consumption be taxed to reduce environmental impact?
5. Should fast fashion brands be held accountable for textile waste?
6. Should national parks allow commercial development?
7. Should governments mandate composting in all cities?
8. Should airlines be required to offset their carbon emissions?
9. Should nuclear energy be expanded to combat climate change?
10. Should bottled water be banned?
11. Should schools be required to teach climate science?
12. Should governments ban gas-powered lawn equipment?
13. Should companies be required to label products with carbon footprints?
14. Should cities eliminate parking minimums to encourage public transit?
15. Should governments subsidize plant-based meat alternatives?
16. Should ocean plastic cleanup be funded by plastic manufacturers?
17. Should communities be allowed to ban plastic grocery bags?
18. Should governments invest more in public transportation?
19. Should zoos be eliminated in favor of wildlife sanctuaries?
20. Should governments ban pesticides linked to bee population decline?
21. Should developed countries pay reparations to developing countries for climate damage?
22. Should schools eliminate paper textbooks to save trees?
23. Should governments mandate green roofs on new buildings?
24. Should disposable coffee cups be banned?
25. Should companies be required to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040?

Health & Wellness Topics for Persuasive Essay

From mental health to nutrition, these topics touch on personal and public health debates.

1. Should mental health days be treated the same as sick days?
2. Should junk food advertising be banned during children's programming?
3. Should schools offer free breakfast and lunch to all students?
4. Should employers be required to provide mental health benefits?
5. Should sugary drinks be taxed to reduce consumption?
6. Should schools start sex education earlier?
7. Should health insurance cover alternative medicine treatments?
8. Should tobacco and vaping products be banned entirely?
9. Should organ donation be opt-out rather than opt-in?
10. Should employers offer paid mental health leave?
11. Should fast food restaurants be required to post calorie counts prominently?
12. Should schools screen students annually for mental health issues?
13. Should teens be allowed to make their own medical decisions?
14. Should vaccine mandates be enforced for school attendance?
15. Should alcohol advertising be restricted like tobacco?
16. Should Medicare be expanded to cover dental and vision?
17. Should prescription drug prices be regulated by the government?
18. Should telemedicine be covered at the same rate as in-person visits?
19. Should pharmacies be allowed to sell CBD products?
20. Should fitness memberships be tax-deductible?
21. Should employers be required to provide standing desks?
22. Should restaurants be required to offer nutritional information online?
23. Should sunscreen be provided free in schools?
24. Should hospitals be required to offer translator services for all patients?
25. Should therapy be offered in schools for free?

When choosing your topic, reviewing persuasive essay examples helps you see which arguments work best.

Politics & Government Persuasive Essay Topics

These topics explore how government works (or doesn't) and what changes might make things better.

1. Should the Electoral College be abolished?
2. Should voting be mandatory for all eligible citizens?
3. Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
4. Should term limits be imposed on Congress?
5. Should Supreme Court justices have term limits?
6. Should Election Day be a national holiday?
7. Should political campaigns be publicly funded?
8. Should gerrymandering be banned nationwide?
9. Should felons who have served their time regain voting rights?
10. Should lobbying by corporations be banned?
11. Should the U.S. adopt ranked-choice voting?
12. Should states be allowed to secede from the union?
13. Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state?
14. Should politicians be required to release their tax returns?
15. Should there be limits on how long someone can serve in government?
16. Should the minimum wage be raised to $15/hour federally?
17. Should universal basic income be implemented?
18. Should reparations be paid to descendants of enslaved people?
19. Should the U.S. adopt a national healthcare system?
20. Should police departments be required to wear body cameras?
21. Should government surveillance programs be eliminated?
22. Should Congress face the same insider trading laws as citizens?
23. Should the U.S. eliminate the penny?
24. Should billionaires be taxed at a higher rate?
25. Should states have more power than the federal government?

Social Justice & Ethics Topics for a Persuasive Essay

These topics address fairness, rights, and the ethical questions we face as a society.

1. Should affirmative action be eliminated?
2. Should hate speech be protected under free speech laws?
3. Should the death penalty be abolished?
4. Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
5. Should marijuana be legalized nationwide?
6. Should all drugs be decriminalized?
7. Should companies be required to publish salary ranges in job postings?
8. Should transgender athletes compete in sports matching their gender identity?
9. Should college admissions be race-blind?
10. Should reparations be paid for historical injustices?
11. Should sanctuary cities be allowed to exist?
12. Should the U.S. accept more refugees?
13. Should police be defunded and funds redirected to community programs?
14. Should prisons focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment?
15. Should juvenile offenders be tried as adults for serious crimes?
16. Should sex work be decriminalized?
17. Should cancel culture be condemned as harmful?
18. Should historical monuments tied to racism be removed?
19. Should companies be required to have diverse boards of directors?
20. Should student loan debt be forgiven?
21. Should the wealth gap be addressed through taxation?
22. Should public bathrooms be gender-neutral?
23. Should religious organizations lose tax-exempt status if they discriminate?
24. Should parents be allowed to choose their child's gender presentation?
25. Should cultural appropriation be legally restricted?

Business & Economics Persuasive Essay Topics

From minimum wage to gig work, these topics explore how the economy affects everyday people.

1. Should companies be required to offer paid parental leave?
2. Should the gig economy be regulated like traditional employment?
3. Should employees have the right to disconnect outside work hours?
4. Should companies be required to disclose CEO to worker pay ratios?
5. Should tipping be eliminated in favor of higher wages?
6. Should remote work become a permanent option for all office jobs?
7. Should companies be required to hire locally before outsourcing?
8. Should Amazon and other giants be broken up to reduce monopolies?
9. Should cryptocurrency be regulated by the government?
10. Should all workers be guaranteed a living wage?
11. Should employees be allowed to unionize without employer interference?
12. Should four-day work weeks become the standard?
13. Should companies be required to offer profit-sharing to employees?
14. Should student athletes be allowed to profit from endorsements?
15. Should inheritance taxes be increased?
16. Should luxury goods be taxed at higher rates?
17. Should companies be taxed based on their carbon footprint?
18. Should freelancers receive the same benefits as full-time employees?
19. Should governments provide universal childcare?
20. Should online sales tax be standardized nationwide?
21. Should banks be required to offer free checking accounts?
22. Should credit scores be eliminated?
23. Should companies be required to disclose environmental impact in annual reports?
24. Should stock buybacks be banned?
25. Should companies be allowed to use unpaid internships?

Arts, Culture & Entertainment Persuasive Essay Topics

From music to movies to museums, these topics explore the role of art and entertainment in society.

1. Should museums return stolen artifacts to their countries of origin?
2. Should streaming services be required to release viewership data publicly?
3. Should artists retain ownership of their work in perpetuity?
4. Should controversial art be censored to avoid offense?
5. Should ticket scalping be illegal?
6. Should musicians be paid more per stream on platforms like Spotify?
7. Should AI-generated art be considered real art?
8. Should video games be considered a legitimate form of art?
9. Should public schools be required to offer arts programs?
10. Should cultural appropriation in fashion be legally restricted?
11. Should movie theaters eliminate exclusive theatrical windows?
12. Should celebrities be held to higher moral standards?
13. Should reality TV shows be required to disclose scripted content?
14. Should awards shows implement quotas for diversity?
15. Should fan fiction be considered copyright infringement?
16. Should sports betting be legal nationwide?
17. Should professional sports teams be required to stay in their original cities?
18. Should esports athletes be considered real athletes?
19. Should concert venues be required to use dynamic pricing?
20. Should influencers be required to disclose sponsored content more clearly?
21. Should animated films be eligible for Best Picture at the Oscars?
22. Should streaming services be required to offer ad-free options at lower prices?
23. Should TikTok be banned for national security reasons?
24. Should museums charge admission fees?
25. Should classic books with offensive content be edited or banned?

Persuasive Essay Topics by Academic Level

1. Easy Persuasive Essay Topics for High School

New to persuasive writing? These topics are straightforward with plenty of available evidence.

1. Should school uniforms be mandatory?
2. Should students be allowed to chew gum in class?
3. Should homework be banned on weekends?
4. Should schools offer more field trips?
5. Should students be allowed to bring pets to school?
6. Should school cafeterias offer vegetarian options daily?
7. Should students choose their own seats in class?
8. Should schools eliminate detention?
9. Should gym class be optional?
10. Should students be required to take a foreign language?
11. Should schools ban sugary drinks from vending machines?
12. Should students be allowed to listen to music during independent work?
13. Should schools eliminate dress codes?
14. Should students have longer lunch periods?
15. Should schools offer more elective classes?
16. Should students be allowed to redo assignments for better grades?
17. Should schools start anti-bullying programs earlier?
18. Should schools eliminate group projects?
19. Should schools offer mental health days?
20. Should students be allowed to use laptops in class?

2. Persuasive Essay Topics for University Students

1. Should churches pay property taxes to support schools?
2. Teachers should also have to go through professional tests like students.
3. Social media should be banned on school premises.
4. Is getting a college degree worth its price?
5. How is home education better than studying at a school?
6. It shouldn’t be legal for students under 18 to drop out of school.
7. Students with good attendance must be rewarded.
8. Students with good academic results must get the opportunity to go to college free of cost.
9. The government shouldn’t have a say in how students should be taught.
10. Making the education sector free can decrease poverty rates. Is that true?

3. Persuasive Essay Topics for College

1. Wrestling is a dehumanizing sport.
2. Should all college students get a chance to experience a fraternity or sorority?
3. Should there be an age limit for teachers to teach? Is taking a gap year from studies a good idea?
4. School students shouldn’t get assigned countless academic papers.
5. Reducing paper consumption can benefit nature largely.
6. The research paper is more effective to learn about the subject than exams.
7. Do you agree that the feminist movement devalued motherhood?
8. Do you think that the older generation can learn things from today’s generation?
9. International exchange program experience, I agree, is important in shaping a student.

4. Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School

1. Kindness is beautiful.
2. Do you agree? Pros and Cons of Summer Classes.
3. School computers must have internet filters.
4. Participation in school sports must be mandatory for students.
5. Bullying in schools requires severe punishments.
6. Should there be any flexibility with the policies for illegal immigrants?
7. Why should every school have a school newspaper?
8. Are we the real culprits of global warming?
9. Do violent video games make children more likely to be violent themselves?
10. The internet was invented to control our lives. Do you disagree?

5. Persuasive Essay Topics for Kids

1. Are vampires real?
2. Time travel is possible.
3. Global warming is just a way to scare people.
4. Healthcare systems should be free.
5. Computers don’t make us smarter.
6. Animal abuse is a result of an uneducated owner.
7. The importance of going to the dentist frequently.
8. Discuss the pros and cons of summer classes.
9. Nobody should litter.
10. What is the best way to persuade someone?

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Persuasive Essay Topics About Animals

1. Do you agree with the statement, “Animal testing is a necessary evil?
2. ”People shouldn’t be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets.
3. Zoos are useful for wildlife conservation.
4. Zoo animals should be harvested for food.
5. Is creating hybrids by breeding stray dogs and cats okay?
6. What is the best way to train a dog: rewards or punishments?
7. Is it beneficial to give cows drugs to increase their milk supply?
8. Using animal skin to make coats and bags is unethical.
9. Reforestation is the only way to save animals from becoming extinct.
10. Conserving endangered species is much more essential than the conservation of other animals.

Funny Persuasive Essay Topics

1. What would happen if unicorns took over the world?
2. The worst movie in the world.
3. The worst social network site.
4. Why does the beach have tanning booths?
5. Good video game skills can land you a job.
6. Why do you enjoy getting spam emails more than actual emails?
7. Is it true that wearing braces scares off strangers?
8. Playing with Barbie dolls can change your life.
9. How to look busy and do nothing at work.
10. Do you agree with the statement, "Boys gossip more than girls do?"

Unusual Persuasive Essay Topics

1. Is alcoholism a disease?
2. Is having a pet a waste of time?
3. Is capital punishment necessary?
4. Art should serve as a symbol of culture, and be returned to its country if it was taken from there.
5. Young people only think about money. Agree?
6. Living in university dormitories is an essential step to help you achieve academic success.
7. Pharmaceutical industries are disrupting our lives.
8. People are wasting their money on lotteries, and it isn't worth the risk.
9. Is having friends such a necessity?
10. Transgenic foods: What are you for or against?

Interesting Persuasive Essay Topics

1. Pros and Cons of having school all year long.
2. Participating in sports must be made compulsory for every student.
3. Men are smarter than women.
4. Consumption of tea is more harmful than coffee.
5. Luck is an important part of success.
6. Spanking kids should be a crime.
7. Kidnapping by parents is a serious problem nowadays.
8. The solution to the energy crisis is nuclear power.
9. Male and female employees should have the same working privileges and environment.
10. Homeschooling is better than going to a regular school.

Advanced Persuasive Topics

Need something more challenging? These topics require deeper research and complex argumentation.

1. Should human gene editing be allowed to prevent genetic diseases?
2. Should artificial intelligence systems be granted legal personhood?
3. Should universal basic income replace traditional welfare programs?
4. Should countries be allowed to intervene militarily for humanitarian reasons?
5. Should we colonize Mars as a solution to overpopulation?
6. Should governments implement social credit systems like China's?
7. Should net neutrality be legally protected?
8. Should space exploration be prioritized over solving Earth's problems?
9. Should companies be required to address algorithmic bias in AI systems?
10. Should predictive policing algorithms be banned?
11. Should human enhancement through technology be regulated?
12. Should universities eliminate tenure for professors?
13. Should historical accuracy be prioritized over cultural sensitivity in education?
14. Should countries eliminate borders and allow free movement globally?
15. Should corporations be held criminally liable for environmental damage?
16. Should parents be allowed to select genetic traits for their children?
17. Should physician-assisted suicide be legal nationwide?
18. Should voting algorithms be transparent and open-source?
19. Should countries be required to accept climate refugees?
20. Should whistleblowers receive stronger legal protections?
21. Should companies be allowed to patent human genes?
22. Should autonomous weapons systems be banned internationally?
23. Should countries be held accountable for cyberattacks on other nations?
24. Should data be considered a human right?
25. Should governments use behavioral science to influence public policy?

Bottom Line

The best persuasive essay topic is one you genuinely care about. When you have an opinion, whether it’s about school policy, climate change, or pineapple on pizza, the argument becomes easier to build. And if you need more direction, our persuasive essay guide walks you through the process step by step.