200 Good Cause and Effect Essay Topics for Academic Success

Everything’s Connected!

When it comes to paper writing, the standard essay is probably the most common, but perhaps the most unique type of essay is the “cause and effect essay.” Instead of writing an essay about a particular event, person, or place, with a cause and effect essay you have to show how one event or thing has affected another place or thing. So, as you’re reading this you may be a little worried and are wondering: “What should I write my college essay about?” Don’t worry, in this blog, I’ll guide you through the process of writing a good cause-effect essay and give you plenty of topics to think about.

The process of writing a good cause and effect essay generally follows the same format as other essays, and I’ll cover that in a bit, but the first step here is understanding what a cause and effect essay is. A cause and effect essay is a paper where you consider how a person or event has affected another person or event. I think it will help to use a specific example here to illustrate things a bit with a specific example.

Let’s say that your English professor has assigned your class to write a cause and effect essay about conservation. Because this is a bit of an open-ended assignment, you’ll have to narrow things down a bit. First, your topic should be something interesting to you as well as a topic you know about. Second, it should be an interesting topic for your reader. In this case, your reader is your professor, but in any case, you need to pick a topic that is engaging and relevant. So, let’s say that you enjoy fishing and hunting, then your topic can be: “The effects of hunting and fishing on conservation.” You’ll notice that I placed the word “effects” first in the title. You don’t necessarily have to do it this way, and you can substitute the word “impact” for “effect,” but placing “effect” first makes the topic of your essay clearer.

Once you have your topic, you begin your research. Don’t do the research with a preconceived conclusion, but instead, let the research lead you where it may. Once you determine the effects, you can create your outline.

Generally speaking, a cause and effect essay is structured like any other essay. You’ll have an intro paragraph, two to three paragraphs of supporting evidence, and a conclusion paragraph. A good cause and effect essay will have a thesis just like most other types of essays. So, for our example, a thesis statement could be: “Studies have shown that fishing and hunting have positive effects on conservation.” You then support that argument in the following paragraphs and restate your thesis in the conclusion paragraph.

Keep reading to see 200 examples of good cause and effect essay topics arranged by category.

Good Cause and Effect Essay Topics

• The effects of smoking on public health.
• The impact of pollution on the environment.
• The impact of preschool on early learning.
• The effects of marijuana legalization on society.
• The effects of seatbelt laws on public safety.
• The effects of fishing and hunting on wildlife conservation.
• The impact of obesity on the healthcare system.
• The effects of public transportation.
• The effects of gambling on society.
• The effects of farming on the environment.

Easy Cause and Effect Topics

• The impacts of regular exercise on good health.
• The effects of divorce on children
• The effects of war on a population.
• The impact of alcoholism on families.
• The effects of lack of sleep on students.
• The effects of poverty on crime.
• The impact of higher taxes on society.
• The consequences of bullying on children.
• The effects of meditation on mental health.
• The effects of working two jobs.

Funny Cause and Effect Essay Topics

• The effects of laughing on health.
• The impact of standup comedy on the entertainment industry.
• The consequences of having no last name.
• The effects of smiling too much.
• The effects of practical jokes.
• The impact of puns on a language.
• The effects of internet posting after too many drinks.
• The impact of the retro TV channels.
• The effects of having a very large nose.
• The effects of naming your pet after your significant other.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics for High School Students

• The consequences of technology in the classroom.
• The impact of sports on students.
• The effects of high school dropouts on society.
• The effects of expelling students for disciplinary reasons.
• The effects of advanced placement (AP) programs.
• The impact of teachers’ unions on the learning experience.
• The effects of private tutoring.
• The effects of students who work part-time.
• The effects of “sex-education” classes.
• The impact of industrial arts or “shop” classes.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics for College Students

• The financial effects of taking out too many student loans.
• The effects of online degree programs.
• The effects of pulling all-night cram sessions before major exams.
• The effects of weekend binge drinking.
• The impact of social media on students’ social lives.
• The effects of taking notes with a pen and paper.
• The impact of cancel culture in higher education.
• The effects of recruiting athletes for college sports teams.
• The effects of students who work their way through school.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Business, Finance, and Economics

• The effects of social media marketing on a business
• The effects of a culturally diverse workplace
• The effects of affirmative action hiring policies.
• The impact of globalization on local businesses.
• The effects of investing at a young age.
• The impact of generous retirement packages on businesses.
• The effects of war on national economies.
• The effects of a dictatorial leadership style in a business.
• The effects of the financial markets on interest rates.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Culture

• The impact of peer pressure on a culture.
• The effects of violence in the media on society.
• The effects of mass immigration on a culture.
• The effects of Music Television (MTV) on American society.
• The impact of memes on internet culture.
• The impact of K-pop on global culture.
• The effects of violent sports on society.
• The impact of the internet on global culture.
• The effects of electric vehicles on driving culture.
• The effects of Taylor Swift on global pop culture.
• The effects of language on a culture.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Education

• The effects of busing on students.
• The effects of high or lower taxes on public schools.
• The impact of earing a graduate degree in making or less money.
• The effects of having armed teachers at high schools.
• The effects of home schooling on teenagers.
• The impact of the smartphone on educational quality.
• The effects of religious schools on learning outcomes.
• The effects of corporal punishment on student discipline.
• The effects of cheating on the quality of education.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Environmental Issues

• The effects of wind turbines on animals.
• The effects of laws on carbon emissions.
• The impact of agricultural run-off on lakes and rivers.
• The effects of eco-tourism on the environment.
• The consequences of using plastic bottles and containers.
• The impact of “invasive” fish species on native fish populations.
• The effects of teaching conservation in schools.
• The effects of the exotic animal market on different animal populations.
• The effects of cloud seeding on the weather.

Cause and Effect Essays on History

• The effects of President Lincoln’s assassination on the South.
• The impact of the invention of the atlatl.
• The effects of the development of democracy in ancient Athens.
• The impact of the invention of paper money in medieval China.
• The effects of President Kennedy’s assassination on America.
• The effects of Hammurabi’s Law Code.
• The impact of the invention of the Guttenberg printing press on the world.
• The effects of the invention of the wheel.
• The effects of Jesse James on police investigations.
• The effects of the government’s “Indian removal” policy.
• The impact of the invention of writing.
• The effects of the Battle of Hastings.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Law

• The consequences of too many laws.
• The effects of an “eye for an eye” in legal systems.
• The effects of lenient gun laws on a society.
• The impact of Plessy v. Ferguson on American history.
• The effects of speed limit laws on safety.
• The effects of absolute dictatorships.
• The effects of “right to work” laws on wages.
• The impact of civil rights legislation on American society.
• The effects of organized crime on police corruption.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Media and Social Media

• The effects of watching too much TV.
• The effects of social media on youth development.
• The impact of the media on political elections.
• The effects of social media influencers on public morals.
• The consequences of social media censorship.
• The effects of cable news channels on public discourse.
• The effects of media monopolies on society.
• The impact of the internet on print media.
• The effects of social media on beauty standards.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Medicine and Health

• The consequences of stem cell research.
• The effects of medical experiments on live animals.
• The effects of the government’s COVID policies.
• The effects of following a vegan diet.
• The impact of marijuana use on the human body.
• The effects of DNA databases on greater society.
• The effects of organ harvesting on the black market.
• The effects of birth control in developing countries.
• The impact of strength training on heart health.
• The effects of bad relationships on physical health
• The effects of having a rare blood type.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Political Science

• The impact of America’s two-party system.
• The effects of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
• The effects of Israel’s war in Gaza.
• The effects of India’s and Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programs.
• The impact of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
• The effects of the end of the apartheid system in South Africa.
• The effects of Mexican drug cartels.
• The effects of Tiananmen Square protests.
• The consequences of the EU’s adoption of the euro currency.
• The impact the United Nations has had on peace keeping.
• The effects of the division of North and South Korea.
• The effects of war on international migrations.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Psychology and Mental Health

• The impact of regular exercise on depression.
• The psychological effects of isolation on elderly people.
• Carl Jung’s impact on modern psychology.
• The effects of alcohol and drug use on mental health.
• The effects of depression on poor academic performance.
• The effects of anti-psychotic drugs on mental health.
• The impact of positive thinking.
• The effects of traumatic brain injuries on cognitive skills.
• The effects of owning a pet for depression.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Religion

• The effects of the Reformation on world religion.
• The effects of Buddhism’s spread.
• The impact of Islam’s split into Sunni and Shia.
• The effects of human sacrifice in ancient Mexico.
• The effects of the pyramids on ancient Egyptian society.
• The effects of religion on problems in the Middle East.
• The impact of the Bible on world history.
• The effects of cults on modern society.
• The effects of polytheism on the ancient world.
• The consequences of missionary activity on the spread of religions.
• The impact of ancestor veneration in East Asia.
• The effects of laws curtailing religious liberties.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Science

• The impact of an animal population becoming too large.
• The effects of solar radiation.
• The effects of colonizing the Moon.
• The effects of attempting to domesticate elephants.
• The effects of using quantum physics.
• The effects of urbanization on wild animals.
• The impact of DNA in criminal investigations.
• The effects of Haley’s Comet on humans.
• The effects of living under the ocean on humans.
• The effects of Roman engineering on the modern world.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Social Issues

• The effects of religious freedom.
• The effects of ethnic discrimination.
• The impact of police reforms in America.
• The effects of gang violence on certain communities.
• The effects of the sexualization of young people.
• The impact of domestic violence on children.
• The effects of truancy on learning outcomes.
• The effects of allocating more tax money to social welfare programs.
• The effects of interracial adoptions on the children who are adopted.
• The effects of teaching ethics in high school.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Sports

• The effects of teams on character building.
• The impact of football (world) on the world.
• The impact of football (American) on the world.
• The effects of free agency in professional sports.
• The effects of sports cable networks on the consumer.
• The effects of sports’ ability to alleviate poverty.
• The impact of sports as a way to bridge cultural differences.
• The effects of high professional athlete salaries on society.
• The impact of playing sports to stay in shape.
• The impact Babe Ruth had on American culture.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Technology

• The effects of cryptocurrency on the economy
• The impact the invention of the two-way radio had on the world.
• The effects of artificial intelligence on modern education.
• The effects of the Apple-Android battle.
• The effects of space travel on the human body.
• The impact of artificial intelligence on the economy.
• The effects of robotics on manual labor.
• The effects of 5G technology on communication.
• The effects of automation in the retail industry.
• The impact of streaming on the cable TV industry.

Connect the Dots!

Now that you know what a cause and effect essay is, how to construct one, and have some topic ideas, the rest should be a breeze. Remember, the key to writing a good cause and effect essay is knowing that the effects are directly a result of the cause – just like connecting the dots!