150 High School Debate Topics To Build Critical Thinking Skills

The ability to discuss and defend various points of view is a key life skill, one that’s more important than ever. One way to teach students this valuable skill is through debates. High school debate topics can vary from lighthearted fun (is a hot dog a sandwich?) to downright controversial, but they all give students a chance to build real-world experience in disagreeing constructively.

Why is debate important in the classroom?

Some teachers shy away from debate in the classroom, afraid it will become too adversarial. But that’s the whole point! People need to learn to disagree with one another without devolving into yelling matches. Constructive debate helps us exchange ideas and points of view rationally, moving discussions forward into progress.

Debates teach students to research their topic, make informed choices, and argue effectively using facts instead of emotion. These skills help students in academic settings, but they also prepare them for real-world communication and collaboration.

In fact, participating in formal debate activities like groups or clubs has been shown to have real academic benefits. Students who join debate teams are 12% more likely to graduate high school. One study also showed that debate improved language arts achievement nearly three times more effectively than traditional reading interventions.

At what age should kids learn debate skills?

It’s never too early to begin teaching kids to think critically and discuss their point of view with others. Just choose topics that are age-appropriate (see our selection of easy and fun debate topics).

“Even in a preschool classroom, debate is good,” says educator Mark Graham. “Debate is a way of learning more.” He suggests using a simple topic like whether it’s important not to litter, and asking follow-up questions like “Who does it hurt when you litter? Where are you supposed to throw trash? How can you stop people from littering?”

Urge students to use facts to back up their statements (“Throwing a plastic bag in the ocean can hurt a sea turtle”) instead of just saying “it’s bad to litter.” As students get older, they can learn how to research properly and find reliable sources to back up their side of the debate.

How can teachers help prepare students to debate successfully?

Successful debaters rely heavily on critical thinking skills. Start by teaching students to think critically, learning to sort fact from opinion. Help them understand reliable primary sources, and how to recognize bias and misinformation.

Then, assign or let students choose a topic that interests them. If it’s an issue that they have strong personal opinions about, it can be really helpful to ask them to defend the opposite point of view. Sure, it’s hard, but debate is all about acknowledging the valid opinions of others, even if you don’t agree. Our huge list of high school debate topics offers something for every kind of student and classroom.

Free Printable Debate Graphic Organizers

Each topic on the list below includes a link to an article from a reliable source that provides pros and/or cons to give students a head start on research. Use those links in conjunction with our free printable debate graphic organizer tools. They’ll help students prepare their debates with facts and reliable sources instead of relying on emotion to persuade the listener. The graphic organizers also include some helpful rules to keep debaters on-topic and focused.

Jump to:

Debate Extension Activity

Debating is a great way for students to hone critical thinking and communication skills, but it doesn’t need to stop at the podium. Encourage your students to turn their debates into action with The Edit, a digital storytelling challenge from NBCU Academy and Adobe. This real-world application encourages students to plan, script, and produce their own 90-second video news reports on important wellness topics. Plus, winning classrooms can score prizes like GoPros and Fandango gift cards!

School and Education Debate Topics

1. It’s better to be good at academics than to be good at sports.
2. Final exams should be abolished.
3. Students should be required to wear school uniforms.
4. Private schools are better than public schools.
5. Year-round school is better for students.
6. Standardized tests are effective.
7. Every student should have to participate in athletics.
8. Single-gender schools are better for students.
9. Schools should be allowed to teach critical race theory.
10. Math is the most important school subject.
11. Schools should teach sex ed instead of abstinence only.
12. Letter grades should be abolished.
13. Teachers should be replaced by computers.
14. People who get better grades in school will be more successful in life.
15. Sometimes it’s OK to cheat on homework or a test.
16. Students who fail a test should be given the chance to take it again.
17. Outdoor recess is important at every grade level.
18. Students should be allowed to grade teachers.
19. Everyone should be able to bring their pets to school.
20. Shorter school days are better for students.
21. Schools should eliminate dress codes.
22. Everyone should be required to go to college.
23. College should be free for everyone who wants to attend.
24. Schools should install safe rooms in case of mass shootings or natural disasters.
25. Schools should be allowed to ban some books from their libraries.
26. Book smarts are better than street smarts.
27. Schools should teach life skills like cooking and personal finance.
28. School vouchers benefit students and schools.
29. Religion has no place in schools.
30. In-person school is better than online school.
31. Traditional school is better than homeschooling.
32. Charter schools should receive public school funds.

Government and Civics Debate Topics

33. The voting age should be lowered to 16.
34. Democracy is the best form of government.
35. All Americans should be required to vote.
36. The driving age should be raised to 18.
37. The drinking age should be lowered to 18.
38. Supreme Court judges should be appointed for fixed terms.
39. Parents should be punished for their children’s crimes.
40. A progressive income tax is better than a flat tax.
41. All students should be required to volunteer in their community.
42. The U.S. isn’t ready to accept a woman president yet.
43. Police funding should be redirected to social services.
44. The United States should implement a universal basic income.
45. We should require people of all genders to register for the draft.
46. Gun safety laws infringe on the Second Amendment.
47. Anyone over 12 should be tried as an adult in court.
48. We should require people to take drug tests before receiving government aid like welfare.
49. The government should provide funding for public art programs.
50. There are reasonable limits to freedom of speech.

Science and Technology Debate Topics

51. Plastic bottles should be banned.
52. It’s important to spend money exploring space.
53. Developing countries have to meet the same environmental standards as more developed nations.
54. GMOs are more helpful than harmful.
55. Human cloning should be legal.
56. We should ban fossil fuels.
57. Nuclear weapons should be banned worldwide.
58. Testing on animals should be illegal.
59. Macs are better than PCs.
60. Androids are better than iPhones.
61. We should replace all paper documents with electronic versions.
62. Parents should use their kids’ cell phones to track them.
63. There is intelligent life on other planets.
64. We should use stem cells from human embryos for scientific research.
65. People rely too much on technology.
66. Net neutrality should be mandatory for internet service providers.
67. Expanded use of artificial intelligence will be good for humanity.
68. Technology is creating more jobs than it eliminates.
69. Schools should have surveillance cameras in classrooms and hallways.
70. The United States should provide free internet access for everyone.
71. Cryptocurrencies should replace cash.
72. Scientists should try to develop a way for everyone to live forever.
73. Pluto should still be considered a planet.
74. Governments should subsidize technologies like electric cars and solar panels for houses.

Health and Lifestyle Debate Topics

75. Humans should not eat animals.
76. Cigarette smoking and vaping should be banned entirely.
77. Drug addicts should receive help instead of punishment.
78. Euthanasia should be legal.
79. Vaccines should be mandatory.
80. White-collar jobs are better than blue-collar jobs.
81. Abortion rights and other reproductive rights should be protected under the law.
82. Marijuana should be legal everywhere.
83. Junk food should be banned in school cafeterias.
84. Schools should provide free mental health services to students and teachers.
85. All drugs should be legalized, regulated, and taxed, like alcohol.
86. Healthcare should be universal.
87. Beauty pageants are sexist.
88. People should have to take a parenting class before having a child.
89. Doctors should not be allowed to prescribe psychiatric drugs like Ritalin or SSRIs to children.
90. Organ donation should be mandatory after death.

Social Justice and Ethical Debate Topics

91. Girls face more peer pressure than boys.
92. Giving is better than receiving.
93. Animals should not be kept in zoos.
94. Happiness is more important than success.
95. If you find money on the ground, it’s automatically yours to keep.
96. It is better to be kind than to be truthful.
97. We should do away with gender-specific public bathrooms.
98. Learning about history can stop us from repeating past mistakes.
99. Ethical hunting and fishing is possible.
100. Men should not be allowed to make laws that affect women’s bodies.
101. The death penalty should be abolished.
102. Security is more important than freedom.
103. The government should pay reparations to descendants of enslaved people.
104. Religion does more harm than good.
105. We will never achieve world peace.
106. We should make the path to American citizenship easier.
107. A strong middle class is vital to the economy.
108. Transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in sports according to their gender identity.
109. Criminal profiling is inherently racist.
110. We should return control of ancestral lands to Indigenous communities.
111. The American justice system is inherently racist.
112. Ageism is a major problem in our society.
113. Felons should be allowed to vote after serving their time in prison.
114. The UN should require all member countries to accept a minimum number of refugees each year.

Entertainment and Technology Debate Topics

115. Reality television depicts real life.
116. Schools should allow students to use phones in class.
117. Social media is making us less social.
118. Social media does more harm than good.
119. Video games are better than board games.
120. Video gaming is a sport.
121. Reading books is better than watching TV.
122. The book is always better than the movie.
123. Playing video games makes you smarter.
124. Paper books are better than e-books.
125. All museums and zoos should be free to everyone.
126. Everyone should play on the same sports teams, regardless of gender.

Fun and Easy Debate Topics

127. Dogs are better pets than cats.
128. A taco is a sandwich.
129. Summer is better than winter.
130. Coke is better than Pepsi.
131. Pepperoni is the best pizza topping.
132. Fruit counts as dessert.
133. The number 13 is not unlucky.
134. People should eat to live, not live to eat.
135. Monday is the worst day of the week.
136. Clowns are more scary than funny.
137. Modern music is better than classical music.
138. Aliens live among us here on Earth.
139. It’s OK to put ketchup on a hot dog.
140. Was Robin Hood a thief or a rebel hero?
141. It would be better to be able to fly than to be able to turn invisible.
142. It’s better to be too hot than too cold.
143. We should allow people to go barefoot anywhere if they want to.
144. Fiction is better than non-fiction.
145. Using profanity is good for your mental health.
146. Leftover pizza is better cold than reheated.
147. It’s OK to wear socks with sandals.
148. Being famous is actually not all that great.
149. GIF should be pronounced “JIFF,” not “GIFF.”
150. People shouldn’t have to go to school or work on their birthdays.

Did we miss one of your favorite high school debate topics? Come share in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook!

Don’t forget to grab your free Debate Graphic Organizer printables

Just fill click the button below to fill out the form on this page to grab our free debate graphic organizers, and use them with the high school debate topics above.