165 Expository Essay Topics for School & College

Expository writing, as the name suggests, involves presenting factual information. It aims to educate readers rather than entertain or persuade them. Examples of expository writing include scholarly articles, textbook pages, news reports, and instructional guides. Therefore, it may seem challenging to students who are used to writing persuasive and argumentative essays built on strong arguments.

If you find expository writing daunting, don’t worry—this article provides valuable tips and offers a range of interesting topic ideas suitable for any academic level and discipline. Keep reading to find out more!

🌟 15 Best Expository Essay Topics for 2023

Are you looking for engaging and up-to-date expository writing topics? Our experts have hand-picked a list of trending and interesting topic ideas for 2023:

1. Significance of regular physical activity for mental health.
2. The role of ChatGPT in the global unemployment dynamics.
3. Consequences of deforestation.
4. Distant learning: A modern approach to education.
5. COVID-19 pandemic and its long-term effects.
6. The increasing role of AI in everyday life.
7. The role of plant photosynthesis in the global ecosystem.
8. Benefits of increasing renewable energy use worldwide.
9. Pros and cons of remote work.
10. Impact of social media influencers on public opinion.
11. Effects of the Industrial Revolution on the modern world.
12. The growing importance of financial literacy.
13. Impact of video games on cognitive development.
14. Music’s effects on mood and emotional balance.
15. Significance of Magna Carta for protecting freedoms and rights in the UK.

🔍 Choosing a Topic for Expository Essay

While selecting a topic for your expository essay, it’s essential to be careful and take some time to think. A well-chosen topic will allow you to create a logical and coherent piece within the given word count without struggling to find relevant data and details. It’s best to make sure there are enough reliable sources and factual information available on the subject before choosing it. Use only credible sources to provide readers with a good-quality paper. There are 6 types of expository writing you may consider:

• Process. Explanation of some complicated process or algorithm, with a clear breakdown of steps involved in it.
• Cause and effect. Exploration of cause-and-effect relationships between phenomena or objects.
• Descriptive. Description of people, events, or things.
• Comparative and contrast. Comparison and contrast of features that two or more objects possess.
• Problem and solution. Discussion of various issues and solutions to them.
• Classification. Classification of objects.

Remember that expository writing should present facts and describe events without expressing opinions. It’s essential to refrain from incorporating persuasive elements and adhere to a linear and logical structure to provide data and educate your readers.

🎒 Short Expository Topics for Middle School

The middle school encompasses years 5, 6, and 7, developing students’ clear and objective expression skills. Expository writing at this level nurtures the ability to formulate coherent thoughts without personal judgment. Middle school students may be tasked to write essays on various subjects such as biology, math, physics, music, science, computer science, social studies, and language studies. Here is a diverse list of topics and ideas you can use for your next assignment:

16. Causes of stress for teenagers.
17. Qualities in teachers that inspire students.
18. When is it appropriate for a parent to behave strictly?
19. Effects of music on people’s well-being.
20. Leadership traits across cultures.
21. Minimal driving age across countries.
22. Working in a team: Pros and cons.
23. Causes of teen suicide.
24. Solutions to school bullying.
25. Factors explaining people’s music preferences.
26. Legal consequences of drug dealing.
27. Causes of teen drug addiction.
28. Incidence of early tobacco smoking onset among teenagers in European countries.
29. How playing truant may affect your future career success.
30. Teenagers and birth control: Causes of refusal to use birth control.
31. Effects of marijuana use on teens.
32. Problems of open lunch policies at schools.
33. Coping mechanisms of children during parental divorce.
34. Things characterizing a happy world.
35. School uniform practices across states.
36. Significance of DNA replication.
37. The process of natural selection and evolution.
38. Effects of globalization on third-world countries.
39. The cultural significance of the Renaissance.
40. Impact of fast food on child health.
41. Causes of World War II.
42. Benefits and downsides of using GMO products.
43. Solutions to plastic pollution.
44. Civil rights movement and its historical significance.
45. Process of developing and testing a vaccine.
46. Impact of AI on education.
47. Pros and cons of online-only learning.
48. The efficiency of homeschooling.
49. Long-term effects of smoking on people’s health.
50. Process of discovering new species.
51. How do social norms on individual behavior?
52. Role of effective communication in interpersonal relationships.
53. What led the USA to the Great Depression?
54. The cultural footprint of hip-hop music.
55. The algorithm of conducting a scientific study.
56. Ethics in clinical research across countries.
57. Pros and cons of intense and frequent social media use.
58. Dynamics of mass surveillance in the 21st century.
59. Modern surveillance methods and human privacy rights.
60. The causes of the French Revolution.
61. Effects of social media on teen self-esteem.
62. Pros and cons of school dress code.
63. The history of the rock’n’roll genre in the 20th century.
64. The algorithm of developing a computer program.
65. How does cell division occur in humans?

🏫 Good Expository Topics for High School

High school signifies a higher level of academic study where expository essays must adhere to specific formatting guidelines and include a well-defined thesis statement. Compared to middle school, the range of subjects for expository assignments expands to fields like computer science, marketing, criminal justice, early childhood education, psychology, mental health, and more. To spark your creativity, here is a collection of topic ideas:

66. The impact of cyberbullying on mental health.
67. Fundamentals of financial literacy education for high school students.
68. Role of standardized testing in US education.
69. Association between violent video games and teen aggression.
70. The effect of regular sleep on academic performance.
71. The consequences of the American civil war for Great Britain.
72. Peer pressure and teen decision-making.
73. The positives of learning a foreign language for students’ intelligence.
74. How does social media affect the political engagement of young adults?
75. The development of scientific theory.
76. Causes of rising teenage pregnancy rates in developed countries.
77. Fast fashion and environmental issues.
78. The effects of adolescent substance use on intelligence.
79. The cultural significance of ancient Greece on modern civilization.
80. Pros and cons of participation in school sports programs.
81. Effects of carbon credit trading on the global carbon footprint.
82. Modern advertising techniques and body image.
83. The role of LGBTQI+ advancements in contemporary culture.
84. Social inequality and academic achievement.
85. Mental health awareness programs in schools.
86. Challenges of engaging in modern online activism.
87. The cultural impact of Harlem Renaissance.
88. The algorithm of patenting new technologies.
89. Junk food advertising and children’s food choices.
90. The evolution of wildlife habitats related to climate change.
91. The history of ancient Egyptian civilization.
92. Media violence and real-life aggression.
93. Your favorite place for spending summer vacations.
94. Benefits of having a pet.
95. The value of true friendship.
96. Talk about popular hobbies among teenagers today.
97. Reading a book vs. watching a movie.
98. Working a part-time job at high school.
99. Solutions to the current ecological crisis.
100. Approaches to financial problems.
101. Productive ways of expressing emotions.
102. Approaches to addressing bullying as a victim and a witness.
103. Causes of teens’ love for rock music.
104. Significance of scientific and technological progress in the USA.
105. Modern efforts for extraterrestrial life search.
106. Stages of healthy and logical personality development.
107. Effects of social media on traditional media.
108. Ways to avoid depression and chronic stress.
109. Methods of curing flu in record time.
110. Conventional vs. alternative medicine.
111. Factors associated with eating disorders.
112. Self-care approaches to depression treatment.
113. Astronomy achievements in ancient Greece.
114. Is living an eternal life possible?
115. Methods of producing electronic music.

📚 Interesting Expository Topics for College

Once you enter college, you can enroll in an expository writing course to refine your composition skills. This preparation equips you to handle all kinds of expository writings across various subjects, demanding a more in-depth and analytical approach. If you find yourself tasked with writing a college-level expository essay, our curated list of topics can serve as an inspiration:

116. The theory behind the fourth dimension.
117. Significance of 4-year college degree programs.
118. Ways of preventing child abuse.
119. Role of career consultants in college.
120. The contribution of sociology to criminal justice.
121. Pros and cons of veganism.
122. Impact of ecotourism on GCC countries’ development.
123. The economic impact of the Great Depression.
124. Religious affiliation of modern youth.
125. What factors lead to the demise of ancient empires?
126. The timeline of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
127. Main characteristics of the Stone Age.
128. Origins of hippie culture.
129. Civil Rights Movement in the 20th and 21st centuries.
130. The status of Native American tribes in the USA.
131. Impact of populism on Western political systems.
132. Gerrymandering’s effect on democracy.
133. Importance of No Child Left Behind Act.
134. Benefits of Montessori education.
135. How does homeschooling affect academic attainment?
136. Efficient methods for cyberbullying prevention.
137. Long-term consequences of GMO consumption.
138. Approaches to treating insomnia.
139. The promise and reality of feminism.
140. The fundamentals of the clean needle program.
141. Causes of the HIV epidemic in the modern world.
142. The impact of increasing adoption of homosexuality.
143. Is active social media use reasonable?
144. Ways of boosting the nation’s economy.
145. E-business and traditional business approaches.
146. The rising popularity of stock markets.
147. The economic and political impact of Panama Papers.
148. Popular leadership styles in the 21st century.
149. Implications of using various business models.
150. Role of active sports in student life.
151. The features of animal bullying.
152. Impact of human activities on the animal extinction dynamics.
153. The efficiency of homeopathy in severe disease treatment.
154. The morality behind human cloning.
155. The reasons to decriminalize prostitution.
156. Sex work as a profession.
157. Governmental funding of sports programs.
158. How do sports boost the national economy?
159. Effects of steroid use on physical and mental health.
160. The usage of doping in professional sports: Legal consequences.
161. Animal rights protection measures worldwide.
162. Emerging trends in psychology: Human dependence on computers and gadgets.
163. What are the ways to protect the ozone layer?
164. Stereotypes associated with Americans.
165. Ways to manage cultural diversity in teams.

📝 Expository Writing Tips

Now that you have some topic ideas that you can use for your papers let us share some helpful tips that can make the process of writing even more efficient:

With these insights into expository writing and various topic ideas, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle your assignments more efficiently. Feel free to share this article with others, apply these helpful tips to your writing, and enjoy improved grades from your professor.

❓ Expository Essay Topics: FAQ

🔗 References

1. Body Paragraphs – Purdue OWL® – Purdue University
2. Strong Body Paragraphs | University of Washington
3. How to Write a Hook Masterfully | Grammarly
4. What Is Expository Writing?
5. Expository Thesis Statements vs. Argumentative Thesis Statements; Freshman Composition
6. Thesis Statements – The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
7. How to Write a Thesis Statement: Writing Guides: Writing Tutorial Services: Indiana University Bloomington