117 Great Persuasive Essay Topics for High School Level Students (2024)

When working on any essay, the first thing you’ll have to figure out is your topic. In high school, you are supposed to pick the kind of topic you will be able to dig into — that is, you have to make sure you can find enough info on the subject. Sure, today it seems that getting your hands on any kind of information is simple and question how long is a thesis isn't on the table yet. Still, you have to remember that apart from being available, the info you discuss should be engaging. So, that’s something to think about.

Argumentative and persuasive essays are most commonly assigned to high school students. So, there are plenty of papers in public domains that are written in one of these styles — and you can take a look at those if you need some inspiration. When working on an argumentative paper, for example, a student is supposed to present two polar different opinions on the subject and present enough evidence to support each point of view. But simply discussing two sides of the argument is not enough — a writer should also come up with a comprehensible conclusion. The same goes for persuasive essays — after all, the student’s primary goal here is to persuade the reader in his/her point of view.

In fact, a lot of argumentative essays are actually persuasive papers. So, if you’ve written at least one of those, you'll know how to write the other one. If you haven’t, here is a tip for you: choose a topic you feel strongly about. This is the certain way to make sure you will have enough ideas for a truly engaging paper; and, since you feel strongly about the subject, it will be way easier to prove your point of view to the reader.

Another word of advice while choosing a persuasive essay topic is to pick something that would be neither too broad, nor too narrow. Remember that most high school papers are no longer than five pages (often, even shorter than that), so it’s best to choose just one question and focus on it in your work. Also, remember that you will have to provide some factual evidence for your opinion (after all, any academic paper should be supported by academically recognized sources), so do not go for subjects that are purely opinionated and do not have any chance of justification.

Now that we’ve highlighted how important choosing a persuasive topic is for a student, let’s give you some great topic ideas to get you started.

50 Simple Essay Topics for High School

1. How can a person overcome fear?
2. Describe a piece of art (book, painting, poem) that changed your life.
3. Should students evaluate their teachers?
4. Do standardized tests really reveal student knowledge?
5. Should there be extra incentives for good grades at school?
6. Should Gym classes be obligatory?
7. Should we make our school calendar longer?
8. Can a class size influence student performance?
9. Should schools punish inappropriate student behavior?
10. Is there a connection between real-life violence and video games?
11. Should illegal immigrants’ children get an education?
12. Is there a way to deal with bullies in schools?
13. How reality TV is enforcing dangerous stereotypes
14. Is pop culture encouraging students not to pursue education?
15. White lies: what are they and should we really believe them to be innocent?
16. Should violent video games be sold to minors?
17. Using cell phones for education: the pros and cons
18. Should we conceal our real identities on the web?
19. Technology: distraction or a bonus?
20. Educational apps: how helpful are they?
21. Should everyone go for a college education?
22. The role of affirmative action in the modern world
23. College admission criteria: is there anything else apart from SAT?
24. The skinny model stereotype and its pressure on average girls
25. Do we really have equal rights for men and women?
26. Why so few girls pursue careers in exact sciences?
27. Stopping sexual abuse against young women
28. Should sports bets be legalized?
29. Can cheerleading be considered a sport?
30. hom*osexual rights for sportsmen
31. The role of sports in our world
32. Are sports in the US too commercialized?
33. The benefits of local sports franchises
34. Should colleges pay their baseball players?
35. The debate of the naming rights
36. How should we treat juvenile offenders?
37. Pros and cons of death penalty
38. Leadership and the moral obligations that come with it
39. A cure against mass shootings
40. Should we change our gun control policy?
41. Is there too much digital censorship these days?
42. Should rich people pay higher taxes?
43. Government and the confidence we place in it
44. Privacy Vs. Security: which one comes first?
45. Should the US monitor its allies and citizens?
46. Should students be able to pick their teachers?
47. Is it reasonable to lower the voting age?
48. How important is fashion?
49. The appropriate dating age
50. Can older generation learn from the new one?

50 Persuasive topic ideas for high school

1. The pros and cons of allowing cell phones in schools
2. Free state college attendance for the state residents
3. The pros and cons of marijuana treatment
4. Is death penalty justifiable for violent offenders?
5. Should illegal immigrants be granted same rights as citizens?
6. Airport security: do we really need that many screenings?
7. Should we allow birth control for minors?
8. Free condoms at schools: atrocity or necessity?
9. Should schools separate gym grades from the grade list?
10. Free wi-fi in the cities: pros and cons
11. How often should teachers pass qualification tests?
12. Universal wealthy: how reasonable it is in the US realia?
13. Animal product testing: ethical vs. practical
14. Civil unions: should the government recognize them?
15. Is it reasonable to keep suspected terrorists under custody?
16. Should students be allowed to bring their music players to school?
17. Can we charge plus size citizens double ticket fair?
18. Corporate lobbyists and political campaigns: is their support legal?
19. Should school dedicate more attention to world religions?
20. Introducing obligatory community service in schools
21. Is it safe to keep exotic pets?
22. Cellphones in the classroom: should the teachers have them?
23. Violent crimes and minors: should the government treat them as adults?
24. Should we legalize euthanasia?
25. Should federal government control and restrict certain content on the Internet?
26. Sexual education as an obligatory subject in high schools
27. Should ESL students pass state tests in their native languages?
28. Can digital devices replace traditional textbooks?
29. Is it reasonable to test professional sportsmen for drugs?
30. Should corporate advertising be allowed in schools?
31. Can students and over be friends on social media?
32. How ethical it is to use stem cells from aborted children for the research?
33. Should the USA spend more time on internal affairs and less on overseas issues?
34. Drunk driving: should we enforce stricter punishment?
35. Is it ethical for a rape victim to go for an abortion?
36. Driving without a seat-belt: should it be considered a crime?
37. Is it necessary for high school sportsmen to take drug tests?
38. Should schools increase their budgets by selling food and drinks to students?
39. Is it ethical to advertise alcohol on TV?
40. Should foreign goods be taxed higher than internal products?
41. Free bus rides for seniors: do we need them?
42. Should the government ban sports betting?
43. Should the government lower the budget for schools that show weak results on SAT?
44. Would it be reasonable to euthanize dogs that have shown aggressive behavior towards people?
45. Should we introduce government censorship on certain online content?
46. Should we lower the minimal working age to 14 years old?
47. The pros and cons of wearing uniforms in schools
48. Should we allow getting a driving permit starting the age of 21?
49. Should schools introduce fast food in their menus?
50. Should booster seats for children be made obligatory?

12 Controversial Topics for School

1. Are there any moral grounds that can justify torture?
2. Should we consider police cameras an invasion of our privacy?
3. Should we ban tobacco once and for all?
4. Is the access to condoms affecting teenage irresponsible behavior?
5. Is the mankind really responsible for global warming?
6. Is it reasonable to teach creationism in schools?
7. How fair is our election process?
8. Should fathers get a paternity leave just as mothers do?
9. Are parents disrupting their children’s privacy by posting photos online?
10. Is advertising to children ethical?
11. Is average CEO salary justifiable?
12. Should the army promote their programs to high school students?

Best Topics for high school that are interesting and fun to read

1. The positive aspects of rivalry
2. The matter of age in a relationship
3. Is boredom is the surest way to trouble?
4. Should we increase or lower the drinking age?
5. Are the college tuition fees too high?

Those are some of the most interesting, opinionated essay topics for high school level. The biggest perk of the above examples is that most of them are based on a student’s opinion. At the same time, most of these topics presuppose some research — so any idea you’re proving will not be without confirmation. If you want to get more inspiration check out exploratory essay topics as well.

The final word of advice would be to pay your attention not only to the topic you choose but also to the way you present and organize your ideas. Do not forget that any essay should have an intro, main body and conclusion. The main body should be divided into a series of logically connected paragraphs, each presenting a certain point.

Then, there is the format. Even though not all high school teachers pay a lot of attention to formatting guidelines, some of them do. And, of course, if you choose to go to college, your future professors will be way stricter with academic formatting requirements. MLA would be the easiest style to start with, and it’s perfect for all of the ideas listed above.

Finally, if you are to write and essay but have little knowledge or interest in the subject, do not forget that there are plenty of custom essay writers that will gladly do the job for you. Perhaps, the toughest thing to do when looking for an essay writing service or lab report example is determining which of them are reliable and which are not. But, with a little bit of time and patience (and attention to detail, of course), you will have no problem figuring out which service is worth a shot. A tip: these companies usually have a great number of positive customer reviews, are available through multiple support channels and have no problem sharing useful information for free.