List of Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for College Students
Need a list of compare and contrast essay topics for college students, high school students, and everybody else? There are a few factors you should take into account when you are choosing the topic. First, you should consider the audience that will be reading the essay. For instance, if your fellow students are the readers, you will probably need to devote some of the paper to background information, especially if it is a topic they might not be familiar with. On the other hand, if you expect it to be read by an expert on the topic, you will not need to provide as much context, but you will need to do more research since you want to do more than state the obvious.
Second, you should pick a topic that is of interest to you, or at least something you are willing to learn more about. Choosing something that is boring will make it difficult for you to find the motivation to write the essay. Ultimately, the compare and contrast essay is a useful writing exercise because it allows the reader to view a pair of objects, philosophies, scientific phenomena, and people in ways they might not have considered before. This article provides you with some good compare and contrast essay topics in a whole variety of subject areas. If you are looking for compare and contrast essay topics for college-level assignments or if you need ESL compare and contrast essay topics, we have you covered!
Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for College Students
We start with a list of ease compare and contrast essay topics for college students:
- Attending a small liberal arts college vs. Attending a large state school.
- George Washington vs. Abraham Lincoln.
- Ronald Reagan vs. Bill Clinton.
- Civil law vs Criminal law.
- Choosing a college based on academics vs Choosing a college based on party reputation.
- Being roommates with a friend vs. Being roommates with a stranger.
- Bachelor’s degree vs. Master’s degree.
- Joining a fraternity/sorority vs. Remaining “independent”.
- Having a job while in college vs. Choosing not to have a job.
- Black coffee vs. Coffee with milk/cream/sugar.
- Living in the student dorms vs Living in an apartment.
- Renaissance vs. Medieval Times.
- Handwriting vs typing.
- Wild animals vs Domesticated animals.
- Solo traveling vs. Traveling with others.
- High school life vs. College life.
- Drinking coffee vs Energy drinks.
- Traveling with friends and traveling solo.
- Having beauty on the inside vs Having beauty on the outside.
- Paper vs Plastic.
- Trees vs bushes.
- Scheduling your classes in the mornings vs Scheduling your classes in the evenings.
- Apple vs. Android.
- Dark beer vs light beer.
- Mac vs PC.
- Facebook vs Instagram.
- Email vs snail mail.
- Credit card vs debit card.
- Taxi vs Uber.
- Owning a car vs Taking public transport.
- Buying online vs buying in-person.
- GPS system vs paper map.
- Streaming Services vs Cable TV.
- American fashion styles vs European fashion styles.
- Pop vs Rock.
- Being a police officer in a city versus in a rural community.
- Living in a house vs Living in an apartment.
- Owning a Dog vs Owning a Fish.
- Coke vs. Pepsi.
- Ebooks vs traditional books.
- Russian language vs the Ukrainian language.
- Going to the cinema vs Watching a movie at home.
- Wine vs Whiskey.
- Dairy milk vs. Soy milk.
- McDonald's vs Burger King.
- Ancient Egyptian Civilization vs. Mesoamerica.
- Venus vs. Mars.
- American history vs. Canadian history.
- American Pop vs. Korean Pop.
- Apples vs Oranges.
- Art class vs music class.
- Republican Party vs. Democratic Party.
- Winter vs Spring.
- Fall vs Spring.
- Nuclear war vs Conventional war.
- Christmas vs Easter.
- Mermaids vs Unicorns.
- Fiction vs. Non-fiction.
- Barack Obama vs Donald Trump.
- Justin Bieber vs Justin Timberlake.
- Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates.
- Hurricanes vs Tornados.
- Biology vs. Chemistry.
- Einstein vs Newton.
- World War I vs. II.
- 1960s American Politics vs 2010s American Politics.
- Exercise vs diet: Which is better for maintaining weight?
- Contemporary fashion vs. 1980s fashion.
- Silver vs gold.
- Motorcycles vs cars.
Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for High School Students
If you are new to this assignment, these compare and contrast essay topics for high school students can be helpful:
- Instagram vs printed photos.
- Cats vs Dogs.
- Cities vs Rural towns.
- 1968 Romeo and Juliet movie vs. 1996 Romeo and Juliet version.
- Drama vs. Comedy.
- Walmart vs. Mom-and-pop store.
- Action vs. Romance.
- Song of Ice and Fire Novels vs. A Game of Thrones TV Series.
- Sugar vs Artificial Sweeteners.
- Sunbathing vs Using tanning creams.
- Star Wars vs. Star Trek.
- NBA vs NFL.
- Casual clothes vs formal clothes.
- Tea vs Coffee.
- Xbox vs Playstation.
- Dumbledore vs Gandalf.
- Hiking vs Biking.
- Text messages vs Real-life communication.
- Your mom’s personality vs. Your dad’s personality.
- Getting presents vs. Getting gift cards.
- Going by plane vs. Going by car.
- Mexican food vs. Chinese food.
- J. K. Rowling vs J.R.R. Tolken.
- MacBeth vs. Romeo and Juliet.
- British culture vs Scottish culture.
- Swimming vs Jogging.
- Eating out vs. Eating at home.
- Platonic relationships vs Romantic relationships.
- Book vs. Movie version of that Book.
- SAT vs ACT.
- Pizza Hut vs. Papa Johns.
- SUV vs. Car.
- Carrying around a credit card vs Carrying around cash.
- What science can explain vs What religion can explain?
- North Korea vs South Korea.
- The American system of government vs UK system of government.
- The Soviet Union vs Yugoslavia.
- East Germany vs West Germany.
- Being Rich vs Being Poor.
- The Czech Republic vs Slovakia.
- American food vs Ukrainian food.
- Tigers vs Lions.
- What you can do at night vs What you can do during the day.
- Banks vs Credit Unions.
- Walmart vs Target.
- The Sun vs The Moon.
- Joining the Navy vs Joining the Airforce.
- Being an introvert vs Being an extrovert.
- French cuisine vs Italian cuisine.
- Simpsons vs Family Guy.
- MSNBC vs Fox News.
- Being Single vs Being in a relationship.
- Traveling by airplane vs Traveling by ship.
- Living downtown vs Living in the suburbs.
- Childhood vs Adulthood.
Topics for Compare and Contrast Essay Writing
This list contains topics for compare and contrast essay assignments of many types. You will find plenty of unique compare and contrast essay topics:
- Living in a landlocked area or living near an ocean/river/lake.
- Humans vs Apes.
- Having a boy/girlfriend vs Having a wife/husband.
- First Moon Landing vs Second Moon Landing.
- Short stories vs Novels.
- Cloth vs Disposable diapers.
- Dogs vs Wolves.
- Alligators vs Crocodiles.
- Having lots of friends vs Having a small number of friends.
- Living in a city vs Being a tourist in that city.
- American Education System vs Chinese Education System.
- Tsunamis vs Earthquakes.
- MTV in the 1980s vs MTV Today.
- Attending a big high school vs Attending a small high school.
- Linux vs Windows.
- The Aztecs vs the Inca.
- Pens vs Pencils.
- Shia Islam vs Sunni Islam.
- Indian culture vs Pakistani culture.
- The difficulty of a job vs Difficulty of attending college full-time.
- Getting a master’s vs Getting a Ph.D.
- Taking TOEFL vs Taking IELTS.
- Elementary school vs Middle school.
- Mexican immigrants living in America vs American-born people of Mexican Heritage.
- Textbooks vs Ebooks.
- The East Coast vs the West Coast.
- People who live in the South vs People who live in New England.
- Guy friends vs lady friends.
- Life in China vs Life in Taiwan.
- Video games in the 1990s vs Video games today.
- Life in the Information Age vs Life before the Information Age.
- Mixed Martial Arts vs Boxing.
- WWE in the 1980s vs WWE Today.
- Hans Christian Andersen vs The Brothers Grimm.
- Catholic High School vs Public High School.
- Luxury Hotels vs Standard Hotels.
- Business Class flights vs Economy Class.
- Christmas vs Halloween.
- Taking a test in high school vs Taking a test in college.
- Brick houses vs Wooden houses.
- Buffy vs Twilight.
- Japanese concepts of beauty vs American concepts of beauty.
- Catalonia vs Southern Spain.
- Martin Luther King vs Malcolm X.
- Owning a big dog vs owning a small dog.
- Modernism vs Realism.
- Trump Supporters vs Biden Supporters.
- Norse Mythology vs Greek Mythology.
- Prisons vs Psychiatric hospitals.
- Life in Haiti vs Life in the Dominican Republic.
- How World War II is taught in America vs How it is taught in Russia.
- The powers of the US president vs the powers of the UK Prime Minister.
- The American CIA vs The British MI5.
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- The USSR Government vs the US Government.
- Napoleon's military strategy vs Hitler military strategy.
- Radical left-wing philosophy vs Radical right-wing philosophy.
- Fruits vs vegetables.
- River vs Ocean.
- Taking a bus vs taking a train.
- Western Russian vs Eastern Russia.
- Japanese culture vs Chinese culture.
- Life during peace vs life during the war.
- Working the day shift vs working the night shift.
- Working as an independent contractor vs Working as a full-fledged employee.
- Being a dentist vs Being a medical doctor.
- Teaching at an elementary school vs teaching at a high school.
- Living on-campus vs living at home.
- Listening to radio shows vs Watching TV shows.
- Getting married in your early 20s vs getting married in your 30s.
- Being an only child vs Having siblings.
- New York Times vs New York Post.
- Being set up on a blind date vs Finding a date yourself using dating apps and websites.
- LinkedIn vs Facebook.
- Playing games on a computer vs Playing computer games on a smartphone.
- Google vs Bing.
- Attending law school vs Attending business school.
- Being a US Senator vs Being a US Congressperson.
- Eating at a 5-star restaurant vs Eating at a fast-food restaurant.
- Chicago-style pizza vs New York-style pizza.
- Starbucks vs Caribou Coffee.
- Going to college after high school vs Finding a job after high school.
- Eating meat vs Vegetarianism.
- Volunteer work vs Paid work.
- Online advertising vs. Traditional advertising.
- Food cooked in a microwave vs Food cooked in an oven/on a stove.
- Chicken vs Beef.
- Listening to a recording of music vs Attending a live concert performance.
- DaVinci vs Michelangelo.
- Being married vs Being divorced.
- Being a parent vs Being a grandparent.
- Drinking soda vs drinking juice.
- Hard alcohol vs light alcohol.
- Australian rules football vs Rugby.
- North America vs South America.
- Living on the top floor of a building vs living on the ground floor.
- Committing a misdemeanor vs Committing a felony.
- Comparing two fad diets (i.e., South Beach, Paleo Diet, Atkins Diet).
- Cuban Communism vs Chinese Communism.
- Living in a studio apartment vs Living in a multi-room apartment.
- Attending an Ivy League College vs Attending a non-Ivy.
- Fresh food vs Frozen food.
- Christopher Columbus vs Marco Polo.
- Wind energy vs Nuclear energy.
- Bees vs Flies.
- Berries vs Tree-grown fruits.
- Deciduous trees vs Coniferous trees.
- Continental Climates vs Tropical Climates.
- Frogs vs Toads.
- Rabbits vs Hares.
- Winged birds vs Flightless birds.
- Sugar vs Salt.
- Onions vs Garlic.
- Apples vs Bananas.
- Working for a non-profit vs Working for a business.
- Working in the private sector vs the public sector.
- Being the governor of a large state vs Being the governor of a small state.
- Ice cream vs Frozen yogurt.
- Taking a bath vs Taking a shower.
- Traveling in the summer vs Traveling in the winter.
- Boiling foods vs frying foods.
- Greek Catholicism vs Roman Catholicism.
- Inventions vs Discoveries.
- Life in the Old World vs the New World before European conquest.
- Ireland vs Northern Ireland.
- Revolution vs Evolution.
- Science Fiction vs Fantasy.
- Socialism vs Communism.
- Sleeping on a cushioned mattress vs Sleeping on a waterbed.
- Catholicism vs Mormonism.
- Poetry vs Prose.
- John Lennon vs Paul McCarney.
- The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones.
- Queen Victoria vs Queen Elizabeth II.
- Michael Jackson vs Prince.
- 1980s Rock vs 2010s Rock.
- Katy Perry vs Taylor Swift.
- Nickelback vs Metallica.
- Whitney Houston vs Beyonce.
- Lady Gaga vs Madonna.
- Jimmy Kimmel vs Jimmy Fallon.
- Vladimir Putin vs Boris Yeltsin.
- George W. Bush vs George H.W. Bush.
- First Lady Hillary Clinton vs First Lady Melania Trump.
- Match.com vs Tinder.
- Twitter vs Facebook.
- Tik Tok vs Vine.
- Traditional media vs Blog posts.
- Original Star Wars Trilogy vs Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
- Hip Hop Dancing vs Ballroom Dancing.
- Class discussion board posts vs In-class discussions.
- Scripted television vs Documentary shows.
- The Russian Empire vs the Ottoman Empire.
- The Mongol Empire vs the Roman Empire.
- Tito vs Stalin.
- The Union vs the Confederacy.
- Eating in a restaurant vs Takeout.
- Spicy vs mild foods.
- Breakfast vs Dinner.
- The French Revolution vs the Russian Revolution.
- The Peaceful breakup of Czechoslovakia vs the Wars in Yugoslavia.
- The assassination of John F. Kennedy vs the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
- WWII: The War in the Pacific vs The War on the European Continent.
- Horses vs Zebras.
- The League of Nations vs the United Nations.
- War in the 1800s vs War in the 1900s.
- Women’s Suffrage in the early 1900s vs Women’s Liberation in the 1960s/70s.
- American life before and after WWII.
- The Arab Spring vs The Fall of Communism in the 1980s.
- Court system in America vs the Court system in Russia.
- The Vietnam War vs the 2000s War in Iraq.
- Pre-Civil War: The economies of Northern States vs the Southern States.
- Marriage vs Civil Unions.
- The Chinese Language vs Arabic.
- Public schools vs Charter schools.
- Black tea vs Green tea.
- Owning a car vs Leasing a car.
- Owning a home vs Renting a home.
- Lamborghini vs Ford.
- A short domestic flight vs a long international flight.
- Drinking at a bar vs Drinking at home.
- Reading a book vs listening to audiobooks.
- Taco Bell vs Taco John’s.
- Applebee’s vs Chilis.
- Career-oriented woman vs Stay-at-home parent.
- Sweet foods vs Sour foods.
- Child psychology vs Teenage psychology.
- Free weights vs Nautilus.
- LG vs Samsung.
- Exercising to lose weight vs Dieting to lose weight.
- The health effects of marijuana vs the health effects of meth.
- Honey vs sugar.
- Skateboarding vs Snowboarding.
- The friends you made in high school vs the friends you made in college.
- Going to college full-time vs Attending part-time.
- Learning to play piano vs Playing guitar.
- Joining the school choir vs Joining the school marching band.
- The start of the new school year after summer break vs the start of the second semester after winter break.
- Your relationship with your dad vs Your relationship with your mom.
- Taking part in a study abroad program vs Studying in your home country.
- Answering questions through rote memorization vs Critical thinking.
- Throwing in the garbage can vs Recycling bin.
- Being a leader vs Being a follower.
- Living by yourself vs Living with a roommate.
- Majoring in Economics vs. Majoring in Philosophy.
- Attending school vs. Home Schooling.
- Paying for college vs. Free college.
- Private Schools vs Public Schools.
- Earning millions vs. Inheriting millions.
- Communist Societies vs. Capitalist Societies.
- Staying at a hostel vs. Staying at a hotel.
- Final exams vs. Final term paper.
- The Bible vs. The Quran.
- 1960s Rock vs 1990s Rock.
- Dictatorships vs Liberal Democracies.
- Monarchy vs. Democracy.
- Rugby vs Football.
- American English vs. British English.
- Fancy dinner date vs Coffee date.
- Risks of Marijuana vs. Benefits.
- Electric-Powered Cars vs. Gas-Powered Cars.
- 1950s Teenagers vs. Teenagers of Today.
- Dating in teenage years vs. Dating in your 20s.
- Pros of Having Facebook Account vs. Cons.
- Working from an Office vs. Working from home.
- YouTube vs. Television.
- Theater vs Cinema.
- Traditional learning vs. Online Learning.
- Buying clothes online vs. Buying clothes in-person.
- DC Universe vs. Marvel Universe.
- Batman vs Superman.
- Spiders vs ants.
- Turtles vs tortoises.
- Snakes vs lizards.
- Salt vs pepper.
- Snow vs rain.
- Walking vs jogging.
- Mountains and volcanoes.
- Jared Leto’s Joker vs. Heath Ledger’s Joker.
- Werewolves vs. Vampires.
Art History Compare and Contrast Essay Topics
If you are interested in art history compare and contrast essay topics, here you go:
- Shakespeare vs. Chaucer.
- Art museums vs Natural history museums.
- Dali vs. Monet.
- Bach vs. Beethoven.
- Watercolor painting vs. Acrylic.
- Poetry vs Rap Music: similarities and differences.
- Singing vs. Dancing.
- Trance vs. Classical Music.
- Sculptures vs. Paintings.
- 1960s Art vs. Contemporary Art.
- Greek Art vs Roman Art.
- Ancient Chinese Art vs. Ancient Western Art.
- Greek Gods vs. Roman Gods.
- Charles Dickens vs. Mark Twain.
- Edgar Allen Poe vs. Walt Whitman.
- Japanese Art vs. Italian Art.
- Ancient Chinese Philosophy vs. Ancient Greek Philosophy.
- Historical Eastern Kings vs. Historical Western Kings.
- Realism vs. Abstractionism.
- Marx vs. Lenin.
- Traditional African Art vs. Traditional European Art.
- Baroque vs. Gothic.
- African lore vs. Native American lore.
- Japanese folk stories vs. Korean folk stories.
- Tapestry vs Fresco.
Sports Compare and Contrast Essay Topics
If you are a big fan of sports, you should find these sports compare and contrast essay topics to be intriguing:
- LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan
- 1980s Lakers Dynasty vs. 1990s Bulls Dynasty
- Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer
- Ice Hockey vs. Field Hockey
- Ping Pong vs. Tennis
- Duke/North Carolina basketball rivalry vs Auburn/Alabama football rivalry
- Cricket vs. Baseball
- Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona
- College football vs. NFL football
- Indoor stadiums vs. Outdoor stadiums
- Grass vs. Field Turf
- Shaquille O’Neal vs. Wilt Chamberlain
- Men’s basketball vs Women’s basketball
- Japanese baseball vs. American baseball
- European basketball vs. American basketball
- Golf vs. Tennis
- Watching baseball from a luxury box vs. Watching from the outfield bleachers
- Sandy Koufax vs. Clayton Kershaw
- American League vs. National League
- Designated Hitter vs. Batting pitcher: Pros and Cons
- Chess vs. Poker
- Formula One vs. NASCAR
- Baseball vs Softball
- Freestyle Wrestling vs. Greco-Roman Wrestling
- Water Polo vs. Horse Polo
- Basketball in the 1990s vs. Basketball Today
- Swimming vs. Sprinting
- Cubs fans vs White Sox fans
Controversial Compare and Contrast Essay Topics
This list contains technology, philosophy, science and psychology compare and contrast essay topics that will make for an interesting paper:
- Earth vs. Mars
- Renewable energy vs. fossil fuels
- Christianity vs. Judaism
- Hard vs soft power
- Modern living vs. Living off the grid
- Universal healthcare vs. For-profit healthcare
- Catholics vs. Protestants
- Life of a human vs. Life of a wild animal
- The Milky Way vs. Andromeda
- Los Angeles vs. New York
- Biology vs Chemistry
- Heaven vs. Hell
- Conventional medicine vs. Homeopathy
- God vs the Devil
- Mobile phone vs. Landline
- Christian views on death vs. Buddhist views
- Anorexia vs. Obesity
- Stalin’s vision of Communism vs. Lenin’s
- Patriotism vs. Nationalism
- Marriage vs. Domestic partnership
- Psychological needs vs. Physical needs
- Nature vs. Nurture
- Libertarianism vs. Autocracy
- Gun rights vs. Gun restrictions
- Pro-life vs. Pro-choice