secondary school speech presentation

50 Persuasive Speech Topics for High School Students

September 9, 2024

Throughout high school, students will be asked to write about topics and make compelling arguments for certain positions. These persuasive speeches and other writing assignments train a student’s communication skills. Creating a compelling, persuasive speech is a powerful skill that will help students in all aspects of their careers, not just in writing courses. The ability to write persuasively will especially have a huge effect on your admissions results when writing your personal statements and essays for college.

With a powerful speech, students can express their opinions, influence others, and develop critical communication skills for school and the workplace. Choosing the right topic for a speech is often as important as how well it’s written. To help you find the right topics for your audience, here are 50 persuasive speech topics you can use to help you get started with your writing.

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What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

Compelling persuasive speech topics are relatable, debatable, and relevant. Students should investigate a topic they’re passionate about and will intrigue an audience. Don’t just take an easy position everyone can agree with—audiences are interested in ideas they may have never heard before, expressed enthusiastically by a passionate speaker.

When ideating a topic, find something with clear, opposing viewpoints. Research the available arguments and present your speech in a way that promotes a meaningful discussion. For example, topics regarding the use of social media, the right to freedom of speech, and the Supreme Court are general and can engage a wide audience.

Topics that everyone agrees with, have no opposing viewpoints, and require no research will not make for interesting speeches. Choose a topic that will challenge you and your audience, but avoid being offensive or controversial for its own sake. A topic you’re genuinely interested in—like renewable energy for engineering students or social media platforms for communications students will make writing a compelling speech much more natural. With additional research and effective writing techniques, you can craft a speech to captivate an audience.

How to Choose the Right Persuasive Speech Topic for Your Audience

Choosing the right topic starts with knowing your target audience. While ideating, consider:

Who are you targeting?
What do you want to convince them?
What counter-arguments may they have?

Think about those who would agree with you, be on the fence with you, and who would directly oppose your viewpoint. Writing persuasively is not just about presenting facts and hoping others agree. It’s about making an emotional connection with your audience and using that impression to shift their thinking.

Once you’ve given careful thought to those you’d be presenting to, brainstorm persuasive speech topic ideas that may resonate with them. Make a list of potential ideas and interrogate their merit. Consider current events, personal experiences, and issues others may relate to. Then, narrow down your list to the persuasive topics you would be most interested in—as an audience member and a researcher.

Once you’ve landed on a few interesting topics, don’t rest on them. Ask for feedback and get insights from family, friends, and teachers. Outside perspectives are important; others may have experiences that could provide you with valuable knowledge to use when refining your topic.

50 Persuasive Speech Topic Ideas

School topics.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Mandatory School Uniforms
How Effective is the School Grading System?
How Students can Shape their Curriculum
Is Homework Beneficial or Harmful?
How Would Schools Handle a Four-Day Week?

Art and Humanities Topics

Art or Vandalism: The History of Graffiti
Art vs STEM: What Should Schools Prioritize?
AI-Generated Media: How Do Humans Value Art?
The Correlation Between Art and Mental Health
Are Video Games the Ultimate Artform?

Social Issues Topics

The Right to Protest: Traditional Movements vs Digital Activism
Why do Wealthy Countries have Declining Birth Rates?
Should For-Profit Prisons be Permanently Abolished?
Is Healthcare a Human Right?

Environmental Issues

Why Corporations Need Stricter Plastics Regulation
Environmental Ethics: Human Development vs Species Preservation
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Fully Electric Vehicles
History of Geo-Engineering: Can Society Reverse Climate Change?
What is Dark Oxygen? The Effect of Deep Sea Mining

Technology and Media Topics

Should the Government Regulate the Coming AI revolution?
Where Does Online Misinformation Come From?
Why Does Social Media Affect Self-Image?
The Right to Privacy: How Online anonymity affects people’s behavior
Why All Messaging Apps Should Have End-to-End Encryption
Should Artificial Intelligence be Used in Creative Works?
Should Social Media Platforms be Accountable for their Users?

Politics and Government

Should Voting be Compulsory?
How Public and Private Funding Affect Political Campaigns
What is gerrymandering?
Why Do Some Countries Have Mandatory Military Service?
The benefits and drawbacks of term limits for elected officials

Sports Topics

Should esports be officially recognized as part of the Olympic Games?
MMA and Boxing: The Ethics of Broadcasting Violence
Has Football Become More Dangerous?
Should Men and Women compete in the same Leagues?
Restrictor Plates: Why Did NASCAR Make Racing Slower?

Economy and Finance

Should Cryptocurrency be Regulated?
Does a minimum wage help or hurt the economy?
Employees vs contractors: How freelance work Affects commerce
Is Universal Basic Income a Viable Option?
When should the Government regulate the Market?

STEM Topics

What are the Benefits of Mars Colonization?
City Planning: How US Infrastructure Affects the Environment
Why Nuclear Energy is the Cleanest, Safest, and Cheapest Option
Why the US Hasn’t Returned to the Moon Yet
Where will Technological Implants take Human Evolution?

Culture and Entertainment Industry Topics

How Binge-Culture Has Affected Our Attention Spans
How Streaming Services Caused the 2023 Writers Strike
Why are actors paid so highly? Hollywood’s income inequality
Should IP Copyright be abolished?

Enhance Your Academic Profile With InGenius Prep

Crafting a persuasive speech isn’t just about presenting facts—it’s about connecting with your audience, understanding their perspectives, and sparking meaningful conversations. These skills are especially important in the college admissions process, where every aspect of your college application is trying to convince an Admissions Officer you’re worthy of acceptance.

For more on college applications, InGenius Prep’s counseling services are designed to guide high school students through every step of the admissions process. With a focus on story-telling, candidacy building, and highlighting the most impactful aspect of your student profile, we’ll help you capture the attention of your admissions officers.

Ready to take the next step? Book a free strategy call with an advisor today to start your admissions journey.

Tags : candidacy-building , Writing , application counseling , English

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