100 Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for College Students

September 06, 2021

Compare and contrast essay topics are focused on a comparative analysis of two different data points. These essays are very useful for college students to learn how to draw parallels and spot distinctions between two subjects.
While such topics are plentiful, students find it difficult to find worthwhile titles to work with. They may reach out to a professional paper writer when they experience writer’s blocks with their compare and contrast essay to get the writing done. Academic papers which focus on the comparison of two subjects are very popular in academia and professors often assign them for research practice purposes.
Even though tackling comparison topics could be challenging, it’s far from impossible. Whether you like sports, art history, social studies, or languages, here’s how you can choose a good compare and contrast essay topic easily.

Tips for Choosing Good Compare and Contrast Topics

Come Up with Keywords in Different Categories

Coming up with a worthwhile comparison and contrast topic is somewhat different compared to other types of academic essays. Start by drawing a few circles on a sheet of paper and naming each one differently, such as “education”, “religion”, “music”, etc. Write different keywords into each and start creating connections between the subjects which you think you can cross-analyze easily in an essay format.

Make Sure to Compare and Contrast Related Subjects

While you can come up with funny compare and contrast essay topics by connecting seemingly unrelated elements, your professors may not like your experiment. You could reach out to an affordable essay writing service at any point if you can’t come up with a compare and contrast topic easily. Instead of trying to compare a painting to a rock song or a fruit to a piece of technology, stick to comparing similar subjects.

Double-Check if There’s Enough to Talk About

You may think you have several easy compare and contrast essay topics on your hands while you brainstorm about potential essay titles. However, many compare and contrast topics are simply not deep enough for you to write an essay about. Even controversial characters comparison from popular books or pop-culture media are not off the table, but the essay topic has to be substantial enough.

Pitch your Compare and Contrast Essay to the Professor

Good compare and contrast essay topics will come from careful consultation and cooperation with your professor. Don’t play your cards close to your chest and reach out to your professor with ideas on what to write about. They may give you an example of an existing essay to use for inspiration or give you interesting insight into the topic.

Review and Analyze your Essay Before the Deadline

Once you have a topic for compare and contrast essay completely written, make sure to double-check your facts. Go over your formatting, check for spelling errors, and cite any sources you consider valuable enough to mention. You might buy plagiarism free essays when you are short on time and need to present a compare and contrast essay without risk of plagiarism. Spruce up your essay as much as you can before handing it in to help raise your grade.

List of 100 Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for College Students

For College Students

College students are in a unique position to write compare and contrast essays based on their academic education and its distinctions compared to high school. You could compare and contrast different subjects, extracurricular activities, colleges, and other subjects related to academia.

  • Getting a Job or Focusing on Your Studies
  • Choosing Regular Books or the Online Versions
  • Is a Public College Better Than a Private College?
  • Online Learning and In-Person Learning
  • Joining a College Fraternity or Not?
  • Differences Between High School and College
  • How is an MS Degree Different than a Ph.D.?
  • Distinctions and Similarities Between Universities and Colleges
  • Comparing a Research Paper to an Essay
  • Studying Abroad and Studying in your Own Country

For High School Students

Compare and contrast essay topics for high school students are focused on the student’s perception and balance of free time and high school obligations. You may write about the classes you like and dislike different types of tests at school or the social life of high school students.

  • Distinctions Homeschooling and Going to a Public High School
  • School Uniforms or Wearing Regular Clothes
  • Differences Between British and American English
  • Earthquakes and Tsunamis
  • Earth and Other Planets in Our Solar System
  • Chemistry Vs Physics
  • Is Getting a Part-Time Job a Good Idea or Not?
  • How Does Elementary School Differ from High School?
  • High School Friendships Vs Childhood Friendships
  • Extracurricular Activities Vs Studying

Medical Field

The medical field is ripe with ideas for compare and contrast essays in a variety of fields and subject matters. If you are a medical student, you could write essays about different medical practices, conditions, diseases, and treatments.

  • Distinctions Between Cancers and Tumors
  • Homeopathic Medicine vs. Regular Medicine
  • Plastic Surgery Vs Cosmetic Surgery
  • Diabetes Type 1 Vs Diabetes Type 2
  • Animal Testing and Human Testing
  • Private Clinics or Public Hospitals
  • Differences Between Bacteria and Viruses
  • Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • Difference Between Veins and Arteries
  • Topical Anesthetics and General Anesthesia

Art and Literature

The field of arts and literature is one of the richest fields out there in terms of writing essays and papers. Choose your favorite art history subject, characters in a painting, or an interesting example and comparison between two distinct art or literary styles or movements.

  • Differences Between the Bible and the Quran
  • Distinctions Between Fiction and Non-Fiction
  • Live Concerts or Online Concerts
  • Music in the 1950s and Today’s Music
  • Democracy Vs Monarchy
  • Books and Movies
  • Psychological Thrillers vs. Horror Movies
  • Comparing Cubism to Fauvism
  • Single Book Stories Vs Book Series
  • Classical Art and Modern Media

History

Writing essays on historical subjects such as personas, events, inventions, etc. are some of the most interesting college level compare contrast essay topics out there. You might compare different historic figures, controversial events, persuasive personalities, or even wars, economic crises, etc.

  • Distinctions Between Greek and Roman Mythologies
  • American and Soviet Rule During Cold War
  • The North and South During the US Civil War
  • Punk Movement Vs Hippie Movement
  • Monotheism Vs Polytheism in History
  • Civil Wars Vs World Wars
  • Goth Vs Emo Cultures
  • Byzantine Empire and Western Roman Empire
  • Renaissance Art Vs 20th Century Minimalism
  • Sparta Vs Athens in Ancient Greece

Sports and Games

Every high school or college student loves to play sports and/or video games – so why not write comparative essays on these topics? You can compare different sports teams, games, or even athletes or racers in your essays.

  • American Football vs. British Football
  • Scoring System Between Baseball and Rugby
  • Doing Sports Vs Cybersport
  • Turn-Based and Real-Time Strategy Video Games
  • Cricket and Baseball
  • Soccer and Basketball
  • Handheld Consoles Vs Home Consoles
  • Beach Volleyball and Traditional Volleyball
  • Tae-Kwon-Do Vs Kung-Fu
  • Team Sports Vs Individual Sports

Psychology

The field of psychology allows for vast freedom when it comes to compare and contrast topic ideas, given its plethora of medical and theoretical professionals. Psychology-based essay topics might revolve around different conditions, comparing different schools of thought, or even treatments based on published research records.

  • Differences Between Introverts and Extroverts
  • Psychology vs. Psychiatry
  • Online Therapy Options and In-person Visits
  • Distinctions Between Depressions and Anxiety
  • Psychotherapy Vs Hypnotherapy
  • Anxiety Attacks and Panic Attacks
  • Behaviorism Vs Cognitive Psychology
  • BPD Vs Bipolar Disorder
  • PTSD Vs Childhood Trauma
  • Therapy Vs Medication

Philosophical

Philosophical subjects are all around us and extend as far back as Ancient Greece and thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle. With philosophy, you are given free rein to compare different philosophies, their proponents, and to contrast them against one another through a unique essay topic.

  • Differences Between Physical and Mental Needs
  • Greek Philosophy and Roman Philosophy
  • Idealism Vs Relativism
  • Life Vs Death in Philosophy
  • Spiritual Vs Material Philosophies
  • Kant’s Vs Nietzsche’s Philosophy
  • Metaphors and Allegories
  • Philosophy Vs Philology
  • Ancient Philosophers Vs Modern-Day Philosophers
  • Philosophy Vs Poetry

Business and Economics

If you enjoy business-related topics and economic fluctuations, why not write a compare and contrast essay based on just that? Business and economics essays could focus on different firms, economic situations, global economy, successful businessmen, and the comparison with their allied disciplines. However, if you find yourself short on time or need assistance crafting a well-researched paper, consider exploring our economics essay writing service, where skilled writers can help bring your ideas to life while ensuring academic integrity.

  • Working from Home as a Freelancer and Working in an Office
  • Differences Between Minimalism and Consumerism
  • Similarities Between Microeconomics and Macroeconomics
  • Countries with a Developing Economy Vs Countries with a Developed Economy
  • Similarities Between Economic Growth and Development
  • Soft Skills and Hard Skills
  • Studying Economics Vs Studying Business
  • Learning the Right Skills Vs Learning through Formal Studies
  • Part-Time Work Vs Internships
  • Buying a House on a Down-Payment Vs Living as a Tenant

Technology and Social Media

Given how popular digital technology and social media channels have become over the years, these compare and contrast essay topics are very attractive for students. Here you may write about different pieces of technology, social media platforms, digital trends, as well as how they compare to others in their niche.

  • Online Job Applications vs. Traditional Job Hunting
  • TikTok Vs YouTube
  • Human Employees vs. Automated Bots
  • Distinctions Between Windows and Mac Devices
  • Emails Vs Regular Mail
  • Online Streaming Services vs. DVDs and CDs
  • Phone Calls vs. Text Messages
  • Online Learning Vs Traditional Learning
  • Facebook Vs Twitter
  • Print Books Vs eBooks

Choosing the Best Topics for Compare and Contrast Essay Writing

Finding the best compare and contrast essay topics you could write about is the easy part of the process. Afterward, you have to write a good enough essay for you to receive the grade you wanted. Looking for an essay writer for hire to review your essay and edit or rewrite it is a good idea that will save you time. Pick a prompt you feel passionate about and write a persuasive abstract on it to start writing your essay.