Top 100 Debate Topics for High School Students (2026-27)

By Debatery Editing Team · October 2026

A student speaks at a podium in a debate round, with the motion on a universal basic income on the screen behind him
Photo: Ryanx7 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

These are the 100 best debate topics for high school students in grades 9 to 12. They are classic questions that debate clubs, classrooms and tournaments return to year after year, from the death penalty and euthanasia to free trade, nuclear power and artificial intelligence. Each one has serious evidence and strong principles on both sides, so students have to research, weigh values and answer the other side, not just share an opinion.

The topics are sorted into ten themes. Topics marked with a guide link have a full Debatery pro and con guide, with about five sourced arguments for each side, key clashes and discussion questions.

Jump to: Ethics and philosophy · Politics and government · Justice and rights · Economy and work · Science and technology · Health and bioethics · Environment · World affairs · Society and culture · Education

Ethics and philosophy (10)

  1. Is it ever justified to break the law?
  2. Does the end justify the means?
  3. Is it morally right to sacrifice one life to save many?
  4. Is privacy more important than national security?
  5. Is it ethical to eat animals?
  6. Should we judge historical figures by today's moral standards?
  7. Do wealthy people have a moral duty to give away much of their wealth?
  8. Is lying ever morally justified?
  9. Is violent protest ever justified?
  10. Should individual freedom come before the common good?

Politics and government (10)

  1. Should the voting age be lowered to 16? (Pro & Con guide)
  2. Should voting be compulsory? (Pro & Con guide)
  3. Should the Electoral College be abolished?
  4. Is democracy the best form of government?
  5. Should Supreme Court justices have term limits?
  6. Should hate speech be protected as free speech?
  7. Should governments regulate misinformation on social media?
  8. Should corporate donations to political campaigns be banned?
  9. Should major national decisions be made by referendum?
  10. Should young people be required to do national service?

Justice and rights (10)

  1. Should the death penalty be abolished? (Pro & Con guide)
  2. Should guns be more tightly controlled? (Pro & Con guide)
  3. Should the age of criminal responsibility be lowered? (Pro & Con guide)
  4. Should prisons focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment?
  5. Should the possession of all drugs be decriminalized?
  6. Should police use facial recognition technology?
  7. Should juveniles ever be tried as adults?
  8. Should prisoners have the right to vote?
  9. Should colleges consider race in admissions?
  10. Should governments pay reparations for slavery and colonialism?

Economy and work (10)

  1. Should there be a universal basic income? (Pro & Con guide)
  2. Should the minimum wage be a living wage?
  3. Should billionaires pay a wealth tax?
  4. Should public college be tuition-free?
  5. Should governments bail out failing banks and companies?
  6. Should a four-day work week become the norm?
  7. Should essential services like water and energy be publicly owned?
  8. Should countries use tariffs to protect local jobs?
  9. Is capitalism the best economic system?
  10. Should rich countries cancel the debts of the poorest countries?

Science and technology (10)

  1. Should we pause the development of advanced AI? (Pro & Con guide)
  2. Is social media good for society? (Pro & Con guide)
  3. Should children under 16 be banned from social media? (Pro & Con guide)
  4. Should AI be allowed to make decisions about people's lives, such as hiring or parole?
  5. Should social media companies be legally responsible for what users post?
  6. Should autonomous weapons be banned?
  7. Should governments be able to read encrypted messages?
  8. Should big tech companies be broken up?
  9. Should space exploration be a priority for public money?
  10. Should human cloning be allowed?

Health and bioethics (10)

  1. Should euthanasia (medical aid in dying) be legal? (Pro & Con guide)
  2. Should organ donation be opt-out? (Pro & Con guide)
  3. Should parents be allowed to choose their baby's genes? (Pro & Con guide)
  4. Should vaccines be mandatory?
  5. Should healthcare be free for everyone?
  6. Should people be allowed to sell their organs?
  7. Should sugary drinks be taxed? (Pro & Con guide)
  8. Should animal testing be banned?
  9. Should vaping be banned? (Pro & Con guide)
  10. Should doctors be allowed to refuse treatments that go against their beliefs?

Environment (10)

  1. Should there be a tax on carbon emissions? (Pro & Con guide)
  2. Should governments tax meat? (Pro & Con guide)
  3. Should nuclear power be expanded to fight climate change?
  4. Should zoos exist? (Pro & Con guide)
  5. Should rich countries pay poor countries for climate damage?
  6. Can economic growth go hand in hand with protecting the environment?
  7. Should single-use plastics be banned? (Pro & Con guide)
  8. Should trophy hunting be banned?
  9. Should geoengineering be used to fight climate change?
  10. Should countries stop all new oil and gas exploration?

World affairs (10)

  1. Should countries accept more immigrants? (Pro & Con guide)
  2. Do economic sanctions work?
  3. Should nuclear weapons be abolished?
  4. Should the UN Security Council veto be abolished?
  5. Should rich countries give more foreign aid?
  6. Is military intervention justified to stop human rights abuses?
  7. Should museums return artifacts to their countries of origin?
  8. Should countries put their national interest before global cooperation?
  9. Is globalization good for the world?
  10. Should the press be allowed to publish leaked state secrets?

Society and culture (10)

  1. Does cancel culture do more harm than good?
  2. Should transgender athletes compete in the category that matches their gender identity?
  3. Should religious symbols be banned in public schools?
  4. Should violent video games be restricted for minors?
  5. Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
  6. Should beauty pageants be banned?
  7. Should countries have an official language?
  8. Should gambling advertising be banned?
  9. Should college athletes be paid?
  10. Does the media have a duty to present both sides of every issue?

Education (10)

  1. Should schools be single-sex? (Pro & Con guide)
  2. Should colleges stop using standardized test scores in admissions?
  3. Should colleges end legacy admissions?
  4. Should private schools be abolished?
  5. Should students be allowed to use AI for schoolwork? (Pro & Con guide)
  6. Should cell phones be banned in schools? (Pro & Con guide)
  7. Should homeschooling be more strictly regulated?
  8. Should schools ban books that parents object to?
  9. Should religious education be part of the school curriculum?
  10. Should art and music be compulsory in schools? (Pro & Con guide)

How to use these topics in class

  1. Let students pick from a short list. Choose five or six topics from one section and let teams vote. Students argue better when they care about the question.
  2. Assign sides after the topic is chosen. Flip a coin or use the Team Generator. Arguing a side you disagree with is the best practice there is.
  3. Give research time that fits the topic. These are research-heavy questions. Give students a few days and real sources, or start with a topic that has a guide for a head start.
  4. Time every speech. Use the debate timer with a set speech length, such as 3 minutes per speaker, so every student gets the same time.
  5. Pick a format. For a class, a simple 2 vs 2 or 3 vs 3 debate works well. For clubs, try Public Forum or World Schools.

Questions teachers ask

What makes a good high school debate topic?

A good topic is a clear yes-or-no question with strong evidence and principles on both sides. The best ones, like the death penalty, free trade or euthanasia, force students to weigh competing values, not just trade opinions.

What are the most debated topics in high school?

The death penalty, gun control, euthanasia, immigration, universal basic income, climate policy, social media, artificial intelligence and the voting age come up again and again in classrooms, clubs and tournaments. All of them are on this list, and many have a full pro and con guide.

Are these topics too hard for beginners?

They are meant to stretch students. Beginners can start with topics that have a Debatery guide, which lays out the main arguments, evidence and clashes on both sides.

What debate topics do high school tournaments use?

US tournaments use the NSDA topics for Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas and Policy, which change during the season. See this month's NSDA topics, or search real tournament motions in the Motion Bank.

Can I print this list for my class?

Yes. Use the Print this list button at the top. The list is free to use in classes and clubs.

Missing a topic? Request a guide and vote for the ones you want next.