250+ Persuasive Speech Topics for Every Argument

Persuasive Speech Topics for Students

Persuasive Speech Topics for University Students

1. How to procrastinate to avoid work
2. College parking should be added to the tuition fee
3. Medical experiments shouldn't be done on animals
4. It isn't ethical to date your coworker
5. Child pornography laws should be improved and made much stricter
6. The Kardashians are more influential than the president
7. Students should have the right to grade their professors
8. College athletes should be paid for their performance
9. Gap years should be mandatory before college
10. Student loan debt should be forgiven after 10 years
11. Mental health days should be recognized as legitimate absences
12. Unpaid internships exploit college students
13. Greek life does more harm than good on campuses
14. Online degrees are as valuable as traditional degrees
15. Universities should divest from fossil fuel companies
16. Social media activism is performative, not productive
17. College textbooks should be available for free online
18. Campus speech codes limit intellectual growth
19. Universities prioritize profit over education
20. Study abroad programs are overrated and overpriced
21. Grade inflation undermines academic standards
22. Standardized testing is a poor measure of intelligence
23. Community colleges provide better value than universities
24. Universities should eliminate legacy admissions
25. Academic honor codes don't prevent cheating
26. College rankings are misleading and harmful
27. Mandatory attendance policies are unnecessary
28. University endowments should fund student scholarships
29. Colleges should teach practical life skills
30. Higher education perpetuates income inequality

Persuasive Speech Topics for College Students

1. iPads and tablets should replace textbooks and other college books
2. Students should always take detailed notes during a lecture
3. College students should attend all lectures and not skip classes
4. Students must be careful about what they post on social media
5. Students should consider opting for their passion as their major
6. Taking a gap year is an intelligent choice
7. Students should take summer classes to get ahead of schedule
8. Students should enhance their vocabulary and not rely on auto-correct
9. Can the internet crash worldwide?
10. Part-time jobs teach more than some college courses
11. Student government is a popularity contest, not leadership
12. Dorm life is overrated and overpriced
13. College prepares you for tests, not real life
14. Students should be allowed to design their own majors
15. Fraternities and sororities promote exclusivity
16. College sports receive too much funding and attention
17. Students should have more control over their curriculum
18. Campus dining plans are a waste of money
19. Study groups are more valuable than lectures
20. College teaches conformity, not critical thinking
21. Students should graduate in three years, not four
22. Universities should offer more vocational programs
23. College newspapers are censored by administration
24. Campus safety measures invade student privacy
25. Students should be allowed to opt out of required courses
26. College is becoming unaffordable for the middle class
27. Professors should have real-world experience in their field
28. General education requirements waste time and money
29. Universities prioritize diversity over merit
30. College is not necessary for success anymore

Persuasive Speech Topics for High School

1. Community service should be compulsory for everyone
2. Is it okay to get your pet neutered?
3. Should school field trips be within the same city or country?
4. Exams shouldn't be introduced until College
5. Palm oil: good or bad?
6. Is education in prison any good?
7. Disposable diapers are dangerous for the environment, and thus must be banned
8. Young adults and children should be kept away from chat rooms on the internet
9. Should all kids be taught how to cook?
10. High school students should be allowed to leave campus for lunch
11. Dress codes unfairly target female students
12. Schools should start later to align with teen sleep patterns
13. Homework does more harm than good
14. School uniforms suppress individual expression
15. Standardized tests don't measure real intelligence
16. Arts and music programs are just as important as STEM
17. Students should choose their own reading lists
18. Zero-tolerance policies are too harsh and ineffective
19. Schools should teach financial literacy and taxes
20. Sports take priority over academics in high schools
21. Students should be allowed to use phones in class
22. Schools should offer more vocational training programs
23. Advanced Placement courses create unnecessary stress
24. Detention is an outdated and ineffective punishment
25. Schools prioritize test scores over actual learning
26. Students should be taught practical life skills
27. Grade point averages create unhealthy competition
28. Schools should teach emotional intelligence
29. Peer tutoring is more effective than teacher lectures
30. Schools should eliminate letter grades

Persuasive Speech Topics for Kids

1. Boxing should be legal
2. Playing instruments in school should be a part of teaching
3. Kids required to learn basic essay writing skills
4. Athletes should be careful with how they spend their money
5. Public schools should not restrict kids from wearing a uniform
6. How to convince your mom to bake pizza for you
7. Comparing Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi is foolish
8. How to convince your dad to buy you an Xbox
9. We should have a six months summer break twice a year
10. Kids should be allowed to have pets at school
11. Recess should be longer than class time
12. Video games are educational, not just entertainment
13. Kids should get paid for good grades
14. Homework should be banned on weekends
15. School lunches should have dessert every day
16. Kids should be allowed to vote on school rules
17. Field trips are more educational than textbooks
18. Kids learn better through play than lectures
19. Every kid should learn to code
20. Summer reading lists should be optional

Persuasive Speech Topics About Mental Health

1. Genetically modified foods have a bad effect on people's mental health
2. People experiencing mental health problems should not be considered mad
3. Mental health problems are nothing to be ashamed of
4. Ten effective ways to prevent mental health issues
5. What are the five most common mental health problems?
6. You should not be rude to others
7. A bipolar patient should be treated with care
8. People with autism can lead healthy and normal lives
9. Social media platforms worsen teen anxiety and depression
10. Mental health days should be a standard workplace policy
11. Therapy should be as routine as physical checkups
12. Schools need full-time mental health counselors
13. Mental illness is not a choice or weakness
14. Medication for mental health is often over-prescribed
15. Workplace stress is a public health crisis
16. Children's mental health is neglected in schools
17. Mental health stigma prevents people from seeking help
18. Exercise is as important as medication for depression
19. Social isolation has serious mental health consequences
20. Access to mental health care should be universal
21. Burnout is a diagnosable mental health condition
22. Mental health education should start in elementary school
23. Social media companies should be held accountable for mental health impacts
24. Peer support groups are underrated for mental health recovery
25. Mental health screening should be part of annual physical exams

Sports Persuasive Speech Topics

1. Are gaming consoles and violent video games hurting the youth?
2. Men are competing against women
3. Athletes should be made to take a drug test frequently
4. Gender shouldn't matter in sports
5. Should male and female athletes be paid equally?
6. Should marching band be considered a sport?
7. Parental pressure and its effect on athletic kids
8. Should swimming be taught to every student in school?
9. Should boxing be made illegal?
10. Cheerleading should not be considered a sport
11. College athletes deserve financial compensation beyond scholarships
12. Youth sports have become too competitive and stressful
13. Performance-enhancing drugs should be legalized in professional sports
14. Extreme sports are too dangerous and should be banned
15. Sports betting normalizes gambling addiction
16. Professional athletes are overpaid compared to teachers
17. Transgender athletes should compete in their identified gender category
18. Youth tackle football causes permanent brain damage
19. Esports should be recognized as legitimate competitive sports
20. Sports culture promotes toxic masculinity
21. Athletic scholarships prioritize sports over academics
22. Fan violence at sporting events requires stricter consequences
23. Sports media glorifies aggression and violence
24. Title IX hasn't achieved true gender equality in sports
25. Youth sports specialization causes burnout and injuries

Persuasive Speech Topics on Health and Fitness

1. Preventing and treating violence against children
2. Solutions and reasons for mental illness in society
3. How do various genres of music affect the brain?
4. Depression impacts the immune system of a person
5. How does insomnia impact overall health?
6. Is there an alternative to animal testing?
7. The significance of placebos in medicine
8. The pros and cons of medical marijuana
9. Is it safe for children to become vegetarians?
10. Fast food is the major reason for obesity among children
11. Sugar is more addictive than cocaine
12. Gym memberships should be tax-deductible
13. Energy drinks should be banned for minors
14. Fad diets do more harm than good
15. Processed foods should carry warning labels
16. Everyone should learn CPR in high school
17. Healthcare should be a human right, not a privilege
18. Pharmaceutical companies prioritize profit over health
19. Alternative medicine is often pseudoscience
20. Vitamin supplements are a waste of money for most people
21. Screen time limits should be enforced for children
22. Junk food advertising targets children unethically
23. Mental health is as important as physical health
24. Preventive care saves more lives than emergency treatment
25. Workplace wellness programs don't actually work

Funny Persuasive Speech Topics

1. Playing it by the rules is boring and for losers
2. Acting on your rage shouldn't be a thing
3. Having a cupcake in both hands is a perfect example of a balanced diet
4. Growing up is an option
5. Being honest with your parents can get you in trouble
6. Girls are as smart as boys
7. Life is a test with no preparation and retakes
8. There is no such thing as love at first sight
9. Pick-up lines can come in handy at times
10. Christmas is a pagan holiday, not a Christian one
11. Procrastination is an art form
12. Naps should be mandatory in the workplace
13. Pizza is a vegetable according to schools
14. Socks with sandals should be a fashion crime
15. Autocorrect is ruining modern communication
16. Cats are plotting world domination
17. Coffee should be free for everyone before 9am
18. Adults should be allowed to bring coloring books everywhere
19. We should normalize wearing pajamas in public
20. Reality TV is actually educational

Controversial Persuasive Speech Topics

1. Can money buy happiness?
2. Have we lost the art of listening?
3. Does kindness make the world a better place?
4. Should people keep their complaints to themselves?
5. What is more important: talent or hard work?
6. When should you compromise?
7. Can society be moral without religion?
8. Violent video games create aggressive teenagers
9. Can the government be trusted?
10. Should world leaders place morality above all else?
11. Capital punishment is state-sanctioned murder
12. Abortion rights versus right to life
13. Gun control infringes on constitutional rights
14. Immigration benefits outweigh the costs
15. Affirmative action is reverse discrimination
16. Climate change action requires economic sacrifice
17. Free speech includes hate speech
18. Capitalism causes inequality
19. Religion should be kept completely separate from government
20. Mandatory military service builds character
21. Surveillance is necessary for national security
22. A universal basic income would eliminate poverty
23. Genetic engineering of humans is inevitable
24. Animal rights should equal human rights
25. Cancel culture is modern censorship

Persuasive Speech Topics About the Environment

1. Solutions for reducing the impact of global warming
2. Is it possible to handle the population explosion?
3. How do humans destroy forests?
4. The potential dangers of GMO food
5. Is it safe to utilize nuclear power?
6. Can flood impact be predicted?
7. Previously undiscussed impacts of earthquakes
8. How can minimizing paper waste help to preserve trees?
9. Fossil fuels are ruining the atmosphere
10. Exotic animals should be allowed to live in their natural habitat
11. Single-use plastics should be banned worldwide
12. Corporations, not individuals, are responsible for climate change
13. Meat consumption is destroying the planet
14. Electric cars are not as eco-friendly as advertised
15. Fast fashion is an environmental catastrophe
16. Recycling programs don't actually work as intended
17. Water will be more valuable than oil in the future
18. Climate change denial should be treated as misinformation
19. Renewable energy is now cheaper than fossil fuels
20. Urban sprawl destroys natural ecosystems
21. Overfishing threatens ocean biodiversity
22. Industrial agriculture is unsustainable
23. Eco-tourism often harms the environments it claims to protect
24. Bottled water should be banned
25. Carbon taxes are the most effective climate policy

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

1. Same-sex schools are better than co-ed school systems
2. Parents should go through their kids' belongings daily to look for drugs
3. Teenage kids shouldn't be given birth control pills without their parents' permission
4. Students involved in cyberbullying should be expelled from school
5. Kids under the age of 17 should have a 9 PM curfew
6. It should be mandatory for kids to learn a second language
7. Children of single parents are not confident
8. One child policy should be implemented to control the population
9. Breastfeeding in public places should be allowed
10. There should be free WiFi in public places
11. School uniforms reduce bullying
12. Homework helps students learn responsibility
13. Libraries are still relevant in the digital age
14. Volunteer work builds character
15. Learning a musical instrument improves academic performance
16. Pets teach children responsibility
17. Public transportation should be free
18. Junk food should be banned in schools
19. Students should learn typing before handwriting
20. Television teaches important life lessons
21. Sports build teamwork and leadership skills
22. Art classes are essential for creativity
23. Reading fiction improves empathy
24. Summer jobs teach valuable work skills
25. Family dinners strengthen relationships

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

1. Are internet relationships beneficial for college students?
2. Women and men have different perspectives on love and relationships.
3. Is it possible to maintain a long-distance relationship?
4. Should you live with your fiancé before marriage?
5. Teens should have more freedom in using cell phones.
6. Jealousy can destroy all relationships, no matter how strong.
7. Why is it challenging to break up with dishonest partners these days?
8. Counseling is a great solution for handling damaged relationships.
9. Men cheat more in comparison to women.
10. The secret to having a fruitful relationship is intimacy.

General Persuasive Speech Topics

1. Facts that prove there’s life on other planets.
2. Is it possible for humans to survive on Mars?
3. China’s government shouldn’t put restrictions on the number of kids a couple can have.
4. Distance learning should replace traditional schools.
5. Can clones replace actual humans?
6. Is acupuncture a valid medical technique?
7. Self-driving cars should be legal.
8. Factory farming should be banned.
9. How do puppy mills affect us?
10. Entry to museums should be free.

Bottom Line

The best persuasive speech topic is one you actually have a strong opinion about; your genuine conviction will make your argument more compelling. Pick a topic where you can back your stance with solid evidence, and your audience will listen. Need more help? Check our speech and debate guide for argumentation techniques. And if you'd rather hand it off? We're here.