200 Advanced Debating Topics for Higher Level Learners

Selecting debate topics depends on your goals. Often, when students practice debating, they are assigned a specific position on a topic, regardless of their personal beliefs. Even if they disagree with the position, they must research, develop persuasive arguments, and strive to win the debate. The focus is on becoming well-informed and honing effective reasoning and persuasive skills.

Debating from an opponent’s perspective can be a valuable exercise. It challenges you to understand opposing viewpoints and identify potential weaknesses in your own beliefs. This can also strengthen your position by helping you recognize and reinforce its strongest points. Regardless of the outcome, this process is educational and deepens your understanding of any topic you debate seriously.

When selecting a debate topic, don’t limit yourself to traditionally “intelligent” subjects. Consider topics that are highly divisive, such as those that polarize large populations. Even if you believe the answer is obvious, if a significant number of people hold opposing views, these topics can provide rich ground for debate.

1. Important decisions about children’s health should be made by medical professionals rather than their parents.
2. The media should be legally prevented from intruding on the lives of public figures.
3. The U.S. should increase its military presence in East Asia.
4. Prisoners should be allowed to choose death over a life sentence.
5. Exploitation of resources in the Arctic Region should be stopped.
6. Government schools should be required to teach religious studies.
7. Sovereign debt default should be considered a legitimate economic strategy for countries.
8. University students should be required to work in their home country for a number of years after graduation.
9. Welfare support should be cut for compulsive gamblers.
10. Social movements in democratic countries should drive social change through the courts rather than the legislature.
11. The government should pay housewives and househusbands for their work.
12. Turkey would be better off outside the EU.
13. Alcohol should be banned.
14. Newly democratized Arab nations should not allow religious parties to participate in elections.
15. Single parents should be allowed to raise their children while in prison.
16. Developing nations should place limits on internal rural-to-urban migration.
17. The police should use racial profiling to fight crime.
18. The feminist movement should advocate for a ban on pornography.
19. Voting should be compulsory.
20. States should enshrine legally actionable socio-economic rights.
21. Governments should create schools that teach in indigenous languages.
22. Gay rights organizations should publicly reveal the sexual orientation of gay public figures.
23. A 100% inheritance tax should be implemented.
24. South Africa’s decision to use the Truth and Reconciliation Commission rather than prosecuting perpetrators of Apartheid-era crimes was regrettable.
25. Dictators should be offered immunity in exchange for leaving power.
26. Free distribution of music on the internet should be allowed.
27. Universal primary education is a misallocation of resources in the developing world.
28. Voting in national elections should be mandatory.
29. The sale of human organs should be legalized.
30. Manned space exploration should be halted.
31. Women can only achieve equality under a secular system of government.
32. Sporting teams should be penalized for the poor behavior of their fans.
33. Nuclear energy should be abandoned.
34. Free immigration should be supported.
35. Every region should have the right to independent statehood if a majority of its population desires it.
36. Autocracy is doomed in the age of social media.
37. Military intervention in Somalia should be supported.
38. Physical education should be compulsory in schools.
39. Every country should have the right to possess nuclear weapons.
40. Quotas for women in high government positions should be supported.
41. Doctors should be required to report evidence of marital abuse to the police.
42. Developing nations should prioritize development over environmental protection.
43. Terrorist suspects should have the right to a trial in civilian courts.
44. Performance-enhancing drugs in sports should be legalized.
45. There should be no laws restricting freedom of speech.
46. Compensation should be paid for injustices committed by past generations.
47. The United States should withdraw from the Middle East.
48. Governments should never bail out big companies.
49. Cultural treasures should be returned to their regions of origin.
50. Eating meat should be discouraged.
51. The use of civilian nuclear energy should be expanded.
52. Terrorism can never be justified.
53. Current technologies for choosing human embryos based on genetic characteristics should be legalized.
54. Smoking in public places should be banned.
55. Public services are best run by private companies.
56. Minor crimes should be pursued with the same vigor as serious crimes.
57. People should be required to work in return for welfare payments.
58. The voting age should be lowered.
59. All development aid to non-democratic countries should be cut off.
60. Governments should grant amnesty to all illegal immigrants.
61. Military intervention to deliver emergency aid in humanitarian crises should be supported.
62. Strikes should be banned for those working in essential state services.
63. The use of unethically obtained data in scientific research should be banned.
64. Humanities courses should be part of every undergraduate program.
65. Directors of multinational companies should be held personally liable for environmental abuses committed by their companies in the developing world.
66. The use of detention without trial in the war on terror should be ceased.
67. Governments have a duty to bail out failing financial institutions.
68. Government funding of the arts should be banned.
69. Heads of government should be required to have a parliamentary majority to govern.
70. The hosting of the 2008 Beijing Olympics was regrettable.
71. All U.S. sanctions on Cuba should be dropped.
72. The permanent membership of the UN Security Council should be expanded.
73. The development of clean industry should be a condition for receiving non-emergency aid.
74. The use of models below a healthy weight should be banned.
75. Holocaust denial should be considered a crime.
76. Governments should not place limits on areas of scientific research.
77. The United States should withdraw from its military bases in Asia.
78. All drugs should be legalized.
79. Free trade harms the developing world.
80. Media reporting of terrorist atrocities should be limited.
81. War criminals should be executed.
82. Organizations should be forced to place more women in senior positions.
83. Public utilities companies should be privatized.
84. Iraq should be partitioned.
85. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should be abolished.
86. A worldwide ban on the use of civil nuclear energy should be implemented.
87. Full-time students should be required to participate in compulsory charity work.
88. Captured terrorists should be treated as prisoners of war.
89. A worldwide ban on tobacco advertising should be imposed.
90. The international trading of pollution quotas should be supported.
91. Abortion should be banned except in cases where the mother’s health is at risk.
92. Internet search engines should boycott China until it allows its citizens unrestricted access to the web.
93. The War on Terror has been counter-productive.
94. Governments should subsidize the traditional arts of minority cultures.
95. First-time offenders who commit non-violent crimes should not be sent to jail.
96. Democracy is the best system of government for every nation.
97. The costs of space exploration outweigh the benefits.
98. Censorship does more harm than good.
99. Political parties should receive state funding.
100. Civil marriage should be open to homosexual couples.
101. Social media platforms should be held accountable for misinformation.
102. Schools should switch to a year-round education model.
103. Homework should be banned in high schools.
104. Standardized testing is an ineffective measure of student ability.
105. School uniforms should be mandatory in public schools.
106. Technology in the classroom enhances learning.
107. Schools should offer financial literacy courses as part of the curriculum.
108. All high schools should implement mental health programs.
109. Cell phones should be banned in classrooms.
110. The voting age should be lowered to 16.
111. All high school students should be required to participate in community service.
112. Schools should provide free menstrual products to students.
113. The school day should start later to improve student well-being.
114. Physical education should be required for all high school students.
115. Students should have more say in the subjects they study.
116. Arts education is just as important as STEM education.
117. High school athletes should be required to maintain a minimum GPA to participate in sports.
118. The use of artificial intelligence in education should be encouraged.
119. Schools should teach students how to manage their social media presence.
120. Textbooks should be replaced with tablets in schools.
121. High schools should offer vocational training programs.
122. High schools should require courses on climate change and sustainability.
123. The current grading system does more harm than good.
124. Schools should provide gender-neutral bathrooms.
125. Student loans should be interest-free.
126. High schools should have stricter dress codes.
127. Sex education should be mandatory in all high schools.
128. High school students should be allowed to grade their teachers.
129. Schools should ban junk food from cafeterias.
130. Schools should be responsible for teaching basic first aid.
131. All high schools should implement anti-bullying programs.
132. Schools should adopt a four-day school week.
133. Self-defense classes should be mandatory for all high school students.
134. High school students should be allowed to vote on school policies.
135. Colleges should no longer require standardized test scores for admission.
136. High schools should teach coding and computer programming as part of the core curriculum.
137. Schools should offer more online courses and learning opportunities.
138. The school curriculum should include more practical life skills, such as cooking and budgeting.
139. High schools should limit the number of extracurricular activities students can join.
140. High schools should have mandatory classes on digital citizenship.
141. High school students should be able to take gap years without losing academic standing.
142. School libraries should focus more on digital resources than physical books.
143. Schools should do more to accommodate students with learning disabilities.
144. High schools should ban zero-tolerance policies.
145. Student athletes should be paid for playing in high school sports.
146. Schools should require students to learn a second language.
147. All schools should have metal detectors at their entrances.
148. Schools should eliminate letter grades and focus on competency-based assessments.
149. High schools should provide free transportation for all students.
150. High schools should encourage more project-based learning.
151. Students should be able to opt out of standardized tests without penalty.
152. High school students should be required to take a course on media literacy.
153. Schools should not collect data on students’ personal information.
154. High schools should have more diverse and inclusive curriculums.
155. All high schools should have a policy against dress codes that target specific genders.
156. High school students should have access to free counseling services.
157. Schools should provide better education on mental health awareness.
158. High schools should offer courses in personal finance and investing.
159. The school day should be shorter to give students more free time.
160. High schools should eliminate the use of bell schedules.
161. All high schools should require students to learn about the history of racism and civil rights.
162. Schools should prioritize experiential learning over traditional classroom instruction.
163. High schools should ban the use of single-use plastics on campus.
164. Students should have the right to refuse to participate in school-sponsored events.
165. High schools should teach students about the dangers of vaping and substance abuse.
166. All high schools should have a policy for mandatory recycling.
167. High school students should be required to take a course on ethics.
168. Schools should allow students to take mental health days without academic penalty.
169. High schools should offer more elective courses in the arts and humanities.
170. Schools should provide students with more opportunities for outdoor learning.
171. High schools should require students to learn about global issues and international relations.
172. Schools should integrate more technology into their teaching methods.
173. High schools should ban the use of smartphones during school hours.
174. Students should be allowed to take a pass/fail option for difficult courses.
175. High schools should require students to complete internships or apprenticeships before graduation.
176. All high schools should have a program to support LGBTQ+ students.
177. Schools should teach students about the importance of nutrition and healthy eating habits.
178. High schools should limit the amount of homework assigned to students.
179. Students should have a greater role in school governance.
180. High schools should encourage more cross-cultural exchanges and learning opportunities.
181. Schools should do more to prepare students for the workforce.
182. High schools should require courses on environmental science and conservation.
183. Students should be able to challenge their grades and have them reviewed by a third party.
184. High schools should implement more inclusive policies for students with disabilities.
185. Schools should focus more on teaching critical thinking skills rather than rote memorization.
186. High schools should require students to learn about the impact of technology on society.
187. All schools should provide free access to mental health resources for students.
188. Schools should eliminate exams and focus on continuous assessment.
189. High schools should offer more courses on social justice and human rights.
190. Schools should provide more opportunities for students to engage in service learning.
191. High schools should require students to learn about the history and impact of colonization.
192. Schools should promote a more holistic approach to student well-being.
193. High schools should have stricter policies on cyberbullying.
194. Schools should teach students about the importance of civic engagement and voting.
195. High schools should offer courses on entrepreneurship and business management.
196. Schools should integrate mindfulness and stress management practices into the curriculum.
197. High schools should provide more opportunities for student-led initiatives and projects.
198. Schools should focus on teaching empathy and emotional intelligence.
199. High schools should require students to complete a capstone project before graduation.
200. All high schools should have a policy that supports students who are parents or caregivers.