Top 101 popular Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

What are the top topics for compare and contrast essays? This is a question that many students ask when they are trying to brainstorm ideas. Sometimes it can be difficult to come up with a topic for your essay, but there are some excellent top topics that you may want to consider. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the top compare and contrast essay topics!

Compare and Contrast

A compare and contrast essay is a piece of writing that explores the similarities and differences between two topics. The purpose of a compare and contrast essay is to explore the two topics in a way that provides new information or a new perspective on one or both topics.

The basic form of a compare and contrast essay is to introduce what each topic is, followed by how each topic differs from the other. Sometimes, if there are many differences between two subjects, you can either limit your paper to three areas of comparison or divide it into sections with sections both on similarities and differences.

In order for this type of essay to be successful, it is important for the writer to have an understanding of the difference between these two topics so that they can explore them and provide new information or a different perspective.

Tips for writing good compare and contrast essays

❶ It is important to have an understanding of the difference between two topics so that you can explore them and provide new information or a different perspective.

❷ When writing a compare-and-contrast essay, you will need to explore the two topics thoroughly in order to be able to provide new information or a different perspective on one or both of them. If there are many differences between the topics, you may want to limit your paper or divide it into sections highlighting both similarities and differences.

❸ The purpose of this type of essay is to explore the similarity and differences between two subjects. The basic form of a compare and contrast essay is to introduce what each topic is, followed by how each topic differs from the other.

❹ When building your paper it can be helpful to list out or take notes on all of the similarities and differences you find. This will help keep you organized so that when writing time comes around, finding information for your essays won't be too difficult.

101 Compare and Contrast Essay Topics:

1) Compare and Contrast Abortion vs. Stem Cell Research

2) Racism in the USA vs. Racism in South Africa

3) Nuclear Power vs. Fossil Fuels

4) Lifestyle Choices vs. Genetics for Diabetes

5) Environmental Pollution vs. Global Warming

6) Compare and Contrast Crime Rates of New York City with those of Los Angeles

7) Compare and Contrast Social Media Marketing Platforms with one another

8) Compare and Contrast the similarities of Democratic Ideology with that of Republican ideology

9) Compare and Contrast two different types of writing, both fiction or nonfiction, relevant to the same theme (ex: compare children's books about creativity to books for adults about creativity)Compare and Contrast two books about the same thing, like creativity.

10) Compare and contrast a book to a movie based on the same story.

11) Compare and contrast two different worlds, where one is either real or imaginary (ex: compare reality to Harry Potter's world). Compare and Contrast an idea with something in our own world like what we see every day.

12) Compare and contrast general knowledge about your topic to what you have learned in your research.

Compare two different ideas to show how information can be interpreted differently when it comes from different sources.

13) Compare and contrast the same topic but seen through a different lens (ex: compare popular culture's view on creativity to an artist's view of creativity).

14) Compare and contrast someone you know personally to someone famous.

15) Compare and contrast two different societies, one modern day or the past (ex: compare America today to America in the 1950s).Compare ideas that are similar but seen through a new lens like how things were done at another time.

16) Compare and contrast yourself when you were ten years old to yourself now.

17) Compare and contrast two different ideas in the same category (ex: compare love poems to songs about heartbreak).

18) Compare and contrast your life when you were younger with how it is now.

19) Compare and contrast a book that takes place on another planet to one set in our world today.

20) Compare and contrast two different people, one who is famous or someone you know personally.

21) Compare and contrast your country with another country in the same region (ex: compare India to China).

22) Compare and contrast a real event that has happened to something fantastical.

23) Compare and contrast an animal from your home country to an animal from another country.

24) Compare and contrast a profession that you are familiar with to one that is far removed (ex: compare being a lawyer to what it's like being a professional athlete).

25) Compare and contrast two different places on earth, one real or imaginary.

26) Compare something new you have learned from your research to something you already knew about.

27) Compare and contrast a book that is an instruction manual with one that takes place in the future or on another planet.

28) Compare and contrast two different experiences, both good or bad (ex: compare going to summer camp as a kid with studying abroad).

29) Compare and contrast two different ideas, one that is tangible (ex: compare a house to an igloo).

30) Compare and contrast your life now with when you were younger.

31) Compare and contrast fun memories from childhood with something new you have learned about yourself since then.

32) Compare and contrast the way of life for someone of a different age group.

33) Compare and contrast two things that seem similar on the surface (ex: compare apples to oranges).

34) Compare and contrast an abstract idea like time with something tangible, like money.

35) Compares two people you know personally or characters from literature who are very different from one another.

36) Compare and contrast a new discovery from your research with something you already knew about the topic before starting this assignment.

37) Compare and contrast two different perspectives on the same idea (ex: compare what it's like to be a child going through cancer treatment versus an adult fighting cancer).

38) Compare and contrast two different ideas that are similar but approached from a new angle (ex: compare and contrast how people try to solve problems with the ways animals do).

39) Compare and Contrast something you learned about your topic in school versus what you have learned since doing research on it.

40) Compare and contrast someone famous with an everyday person you know personally.

41) Compare and contrast two different perspectives on the same idea (ex: compare what it's like to be a child going through cancer treatment versus an adult fighting cancer).

42) Compares something new you have learned about your topic from research with things that were taught in school.

43) Compare and contrast what you expected to learn about your topic with what you have learned after doing research.

44) Compare and contrast two different perspectives on the same idea (ex: compare what it's like to be a child going through cancer treatment versus an adult fighting cancer).

45) Compares something new you have learned from your research with something that was taught about the topic in school.

46) Compare and contrast a book set on another planet to one that takes place here on earth today.

47) Compares two different people, one famous or someone you know personally (ex: compare Superman with your best friend).

48) Compare and contrast an animal from your home country to an animal from another country.

49) Compare and contrast a profession that you are familiar with to one that is far removed (ex: compare being a lawyer to what it's like being a professional athlete).

50) Compare and contrast two different places on earth, one real or imaginary.

51) Compares something new you have learned from your research to something you already knew about.

52) Compare and contrast a book that is an instruction manual with one that takes place in the future or on another planet.

53) Compare two different experiences, both good or bad (ex: compare going to summer camp as a kid with studying abroad).

54) Compares something you have learned from research with a topic taught in school.

55) Compare and contrast a new discovery about your topic to the idea of it being intangible (ex: compare what it's like seeing an eclipse versus reading about one).

56) Compares two different perspectives on the same idea (ex: compare what it's like to be a child going through cancer treatment versus an adult fighting cancer).

57) Compares something you learned from research to what was taught about the topic in school.

58) Compare and contrast two different places on earth, one real or imaginary.

59) Compare and contrast someone famous with an everyday person you know personally.

60) Compares a topic taught in school to something you learned from research.

61) Compare and contrast two different perspectives on the same idea (ex: compare what it's like to be a child going through cancer treatment versus an adult fighting cancer).

62) Compares someone famous with an everyday person you know personally.

63) Compare and contrast something you learned about your topic in school versus what you have learned since doing research on it.

64) Compares a new discovery to the idea of an intangible (ex: compare what it's like seeing an eclipse versus reading about one).

65) Compare and contrast two different perspectives on the same idea (ex: compare what it's like to be a child going through cancer treatment versus an adult fighting cancer).

66) Compares something you learned from your research with both things that were taught in school.

67) Compare and contrast how someone famous was when they were young to how they are now (ex: compare Oprah Winfrey as a teenager vs. Oprah Winfrey in her 60s).

68) Compare and contrast two different professions.

69) Compares something you learned about your topic from research with what was taught in school.

70) Compare and contrast a book set on another planet to one that takes place here on earth today.

71) Compares two different people, one famous or someone you know personally (ex: compare Superman with your best friend).

72) Compare and contrast an animal from your home country to an animal from another country.

73) Compares two experiences that are good or bad (ex: compare going to summer camp as a kid with studying abroad.)

74) Compares an experience to something intangible (ex: compare what it's like seeing an eclipse versus reading about one).

75) Compare and contrast a profession that you are familiar with to one that is far removed (ex: compare being a lawyer to what it's like being a professional athlete).

76) Compare two cultures that are different in the way they treat children (ex: compare how kids are disciplined in America with how they're raised in China).

77) Compare two poems by authors who have written very differently about similar topics. For example, write on how one poet writes from a more literal perspective while another writes metaphorically.

78) Compare two poems that are written for completely different purposes or audiences.

79) Compare and contrast the ways in which academia is similar to one profession, but quite distinct from another (ex: How academia is like being a lawyer because professors have to defend their ideas verbally).

80) Write about how comparing yourself as an individual with other people can be beneficial.

81) Make a list of all the ways that you are different from other people in your family or community.

82) Think about two things that make it difficult to be good at multiple sports (ex: endurance, speed). Compare and contrast them with each other. For example, if one is easily fatigued while another is very fast, note how they are alike and different.

83) Compare two movies that have similar themes but represent them in unique ways (ex: compare the book "The Hunger Games" to the movie based on it).

84) Write about a time when you had conflicting desires or priorities with someone else. For example, if you wanted to go out with friends while your significant other wanted to do something else.

85) Compare and contrast the ways in which two people handle a similar situation (ex: compare how one person responds when they get cut from their sports team versus another).

86) Write about three things that make it difficult for someone living paycheck to paycheck to save money.

87) Compare and contrast the ways in which two different people view a certain event (ex: compare how your friend views an accident they were involved with versus another person's perspective).

88) Think about someone you know who is very humble versus someone else who comes across as self-centered or egotistical. Compare the two people's behavior when interacting with others and try to explain why they are different in their approach.

89) Write about something that made you feel invincible or like nothing could ever go wrong (ex: your first kiss). How did it make you feel versus how do you think other people react?

90) Describe a time when you and someone else had different ideas about how to handle something.

91) Compare the ways in which two people's lives are similar, even though they live very different lifestyles (ex: compare your life with that of an actor or professional athlete).

92) Describe three things that make it difficult for students who have a job to balance their lives.

93) Compares and Contrasts the ways in which two things that are similar, but have very different consequences (ex: compare how it feels to be home sick from school versus being suspended).

94) Compare and contrast your life now with one you had before. For example, if you recently moved to a new town, compare it with your life where you lived before.

95) Think about two different people who handle rejection in very different ways (ex: one person gets angry versus another doesn't let it bother them). Compare and contrast their behavior when facing this common obstacle.

96) Write about the differences between something you've done before and after. For example, describe a time when you made two different choices about how to approach something (ex: choose your classes for the semester versus choosing what activity to go out on).

97) Write about three things that make it difficult for people who work full-time jobs but also need to take care of children.

98) Describe two people who have very different attitudes toward life. How are they the same? What do you think makes them so different in their outlook on things?

99) Think about a time when someone's understanding or belief was challenged by another person (ex: your opinion of an actor changed after hearing what colleagues had to say).

100) Think about two people who have very different personalities (ex: one is outgoing and the other shy), but both handle a certain situation in an unexpected way. For example, describe how they each react to getting stuck in a really long line at the grocery store.

101) Think about a time when you were going through a very difficult period in your life. What helped you get through it? How did others react to what was happening and how might they have been feeling at the same time?