Can you name 10 catchy compare and contrast essay topics? If you can, that’s great! But as practice shows, most students struggle with thinking of this many themes, and when they have to write an essay, they waste days on figuring out what it should be about. Comparing and contrasting something is a frequent task professors of various colleges assign. It entails choosing two or more objects of a common nature and exploring their differences as well as similarities.
The goal of such essays is to stimulate writers’ critical thinking and make them learn the basics of analysis. As time goes on, you’ll be facing more and more complex academic assignments where you’ll have to conduct many-layered research and look into the core of a subject. Comparison & contrast is one of the first stages of work that help develop these skills, so it’s extremely important. But before you proceed, you must settle on an interesting topic. We’re going to assist you in doing that.
Tips for Selecting Topics for Compare and Contrast Essay
So, how to find what to write about? You could always brainstorm with your friends or classmates. Even professors could be of great help — in many cases, they provide lists with topics, so your choice is already limited. But if you’re given an option of researching your own idea, there are some tips that could help you make a decision.
- Think back on your interests. The first rule of essay writing is, choose a topic you like. If you have no interest in the subject, it’s doubtful that you’ll be able to evoke any enthusiasm in your readers. So consider your hobbies or things that make your eyes light up in excitement. Maybe you love reading and feel frustrated because your friends choose computer games over books. Comparing and contrasting these activities could be interesting. Or perhaps you love a country few people know about: compare it against one of the tourists’ favorites. Opportunities are never-ending here.
- Choose the nature of your subject. For this kind of essay, you’ll need objects that fall roughly into the same category. For example, you cannot compare an animal with a fruit because they represent two different spheres with no real similarities. Your topic has to make sense, so select between activities, books, movies, approaches, music styles, etc. You could choose compare and contrast essay topics for kids, high schoolers, or adults — there is virtually endless space for explorations.
- Check your objectivity. An important thing is that you shouldn’t write about a topic that’s too abstract, generic, or personal. The last point seemingly contradicts the first tip (about choosing something you love), but all depends on a good balance here. Being invested in your subject is a must, but being intensely passionate about it might not be the best idea. For instance, if you want to compare two different versions of Sherlock Holmes adaptation, where you hate one but love another, you might lose objectivity. Remember that essays should be academic and evidence-based — your feelings shouldn’t take precedence.
- Look through inspirational lists. You could always consult online lists for getting more tips. You’ll find different ideas there — even if you don’t locate something that fits your interests 100%, you could twist these ideas until they work for you.
100 Unique Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for College Students
We brainstormed and made up 100 possible topics for your exploration. For helping you narrow them down, we further broke them into 10 various categories, so check them all out carefully. Feel free to pick anything you like and change it in accordance with your own preferences.
Compare and Contrast Essay Ideas For College Students
Education has different levels of complexity. If you are a college student, then you might be interested in the following comparison topics.
- Cockney vs. Received Pronunciation: What Makes Them Different?
- How Does College Differ From High School?
- Why Do Some Authors Write Short Stories While Others Prefer Long Ones?
- Difference Between Argumentative and Persuasive Essays: Which Are Easier to Write?
- Tea or Coffee: What Drink Is Healthier
- American vs. Australian System of Education in Terms of Efficiency
- Learning Foreign Language with a Tutor versus By Oneself
- High School and College Parties: What Differentiates Them?
- Funeral Traditions in Different Countries
- Two Cars Competing for the Title of the Safest
Topics For High School Students
Now let’s regard some compare and contrast essay topics for high school students. They are a bit easier than the ones for college level.
- Living with Father or Mother: What Differentiates Such Upbringings?
- How Male Communication Tactics Differs From Female Ones
- What Do Love and Hatred Have in Common & How Are They Different?
- Ice-cream or Cake: Tastier and Healthier Choice
- Using Cars or Riding a Bicycle?
- Academic vs. Fictional Kinds Essays: Common and Different Aspects
- Should Elders Get a Dog or a Cat?
- Adopting Pets versus Buying Them
- Travelling by Car or by Bus: Advantages & Disadvantages
- Chinese vs. Japanese Culture: Intricacies and Stereotypes Surrounding Them
Medical Field
Medicine is a complex and fascinating sphere, especially now, when it’s so relevant. If you like it, check these college level compare contrast essay topics.
- Life Before & After Coronavirus: Main Common and Opposite Features
- Old-Fashioned or Unique Ways of Treatment?
- Medical Education in Australia and US: Complexities and Length
- Eating Ice-Cream During a Cold versus Staying Away From It
- How Doctors Work in Real Life vs. How Their Actions Are Portrayed in Fiction
- Surgeons Operating on Humans & Animals: How Does Their Work Differ?
- Being a Nurse or a Doctor: Scope of Responsibilities & Payment
- Working as a Doctor in Third-World versus First-World Countries
- Compare & Contrast Two Different Medical Universities
- Injections Done by Nurses versus Family Members
Art and Literature Compare and Contrast Essay Topic Ideas
If you are an art lover, look through these ideas for compare and contrast essays. Maybe something will resonate with you: after all, there are billions of books and paintings in the world.
- Bella Swan and Katniss Everdeen: What Makes These Characters Similar & Different?
- Art History of France and Italy: What Unites Them?
- What Helps to Differentiate Between Biography and Autobiography?
- Fiction vs. Nonfiction: What People Prefer Which Genre?
- Art Created by Able and Disabled People
- Popular Artists Now vs. In the Past: What Determined People’s Love for Them?
- Writing by Following a Prompt vs Focusing on One’s Own Ideas
- What Is Constructive & Cruel Criticism?
- Movie and Book With the Same Plot: How Are They Different?
- Working Daily vs. Working Only When Inspiration Strikes
History Compare and Contrast Essay Prompts
There are so many events in history that you could choose practically any good compare and contrast essay topics.
- WW1 Against WW2: What Different and Similar Reasons Did They Have?
- Communism and Fascism: Are There Any Significant Differences or Similarities?
- Obama or Trump: What Was Their Presidency About?
- Two Most Influential Kings in the World: How Could They Be Defined?
- Fascist Germany with the US: What Do These Giant Countries Have in Common?
- How Homosexuality Was Treated Before 2010 and After It
- Female Rights in First-World vs. Third-World Countries
- Queen Victoria vs. King Louis XIV: Differences in Governments
- How Propaganda Worked in 20th & 21st Centuries: Methods and Degrees of Effectiveness
- Two Most Cruel Punishments of the Past and In Modern Times: What Unites Them?
