The Harker School United States Flag

A+ 4 Reviews California, US

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School Overview

Data & methodology
Overall A+
Matriculation A+
Academics A+
Extracurriculars A
Geo & Community A
Reviews A-
Founded in 1893, The Harker School offers a coed, independent program for students in K-Gr. 12 on three beautiful campuses in the heart of Silicon Valley. Harker is one of the top prep schools in the nation and the largest K-12 independent school in the state, and its upper school sends its graduates to the finest universities and colleges in the country. Students reach their full potential through small class sizes, performance placement at most grade levels, integration of state-of-the-art technology at all grade levels, AP and honors offerings, a full-time counseling staff and highly qualified faculty. Harker is a dynamic community that honors individuality, embraces diversity and prepares students to take their places as global citizens.
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School Stats

Average
Current school
Tuition
$66,950
Enrollment
1975
International Students
0.4%
Faculty with Advanced Degrees
62%
Teacher-Student Ratio
1:9
Endowment
$11 million
AP
29
Average SAT Score
1525
Average ACT Score
34
Class Size
15

Matriculation


College Matriculation

(2023-2025)
Ranking University/College Students
#1 Princeton University 2
Art #1 School of the Art Institute of Chicago 1
#2 Columbia University 15
#2 Harvard College 5
#2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 12
#5 Yale University 9
LAC #1 Williams College 2
#6 Stanford University 34
#6 University of Chicago 16

Academics

AP Scores

(2025)
Number of students who took AP tests
626
Number of tests taken
1879
94%
5%
Score 5
Score 4
Score 3
Other scores

AP Courses

(29)
Chinese Language and Culture
French Language and Culture
Japanese Language and Culture
Latin
Spanish Language and Culture
Spanish Literature and Culture
Chinese Language and Culture
French Language and Culture
Japanese Language and Culture
Latin
Spanish Language and Culture
Spanish Literature and Culture
Biology
Chemistry
Environmental Science
Physics 2
Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
Physics C: Mechanics
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Computer Science A
Statistics
European History
Macroeconomics
Psychology
United States Government and Politics
United States History
World History
Art History
Music Theory
Studio Art: 2-D Design
Studio Art: 3-D Design
Studio Art: Drawing
Microeconomics
English Literature and Composition
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Sports

(14)
Baseball
Basketball
Cheerleading
Cross Country
Football
Golf
Baseball
Basketball
Cheerleading
Cross Country
Football
Golf
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball
Swimming
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball
Water Polo
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Extracurricular Activities and Clubs

(9)
Clean Technology Club
Future Problem Solvers
Eclectic Literary Magazine
Junior State of America
Key Club
Model United Nations
Clean Technology Club
Future Problem Solvers
Eclectic Literary Magazine
Junior State of America
Key Club
Model United Nations
Quiz Bowl
Red Cross Club
and Women in STEM.
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Arts

(13)
Art History
Ceramics
Drawing
Filmmaking
Graphic Design
Painting
Art History
Ceramics
Drawing
Filmmaking
Graphic Design
Painting
Photography
Printmaking
Sculpture
Visual Arts
2D Art
3D Art
Architecture
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Basic Info

Co-ed
Day School Grades: PreK-12
Urban
IB: No
ESL: No
Year Founded: 1893
Campus Size: 12 acres
Religious Affiliation: No Religious Affiliation

Application Info

Deadline: 01/11
Interview: On Campus
Other Accepted Scores: ISEE
School Code:
SSAT: 3711
ISEE: 54148
Recommended
Boarding
Midland School United States Flag
A-
Recommended

Reviews

A FindingSchool User
5 / 5
07/06/2024
Reviews from other languages
This is a top-tier day school, and its graduation outcomes are excellent every year. It offers a very rich and diverse range of academic courses and activities. Due to its advantageous geographical location, it often invites engineers working in Silicon Valley to give academic presentations, and there are fewer Chinese students. Students interested in computer science, mathematics, and STEM fields definitely can't go wrong by choosing this school.
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A FindingSchool User
5 / 5
01/08/2022
Reviews from other languages
Harker is located in Silicon Valley, San Jose, California, right next to Apple Inc. Its STEM programs can be considered among the best among top high schools in the United States, with a high proportion of senior teachers reaching 80%. The school was founded in 1893 and has educated 2040 students.
The school provides students with comprehensive development, not only in academics but also in extracurricular activities, with a particular focus on cultivating students' teamwork awareness and character development.
Every year, Harker is a highly sought-after school. So why is it so popular? The reasons should be as follows:
1. The school's academic ability is very strong, offering students innovative and challenging courses.
2. Beyond academics, it fully taps into students' potential: the school's international exchange programs, sports competition teams, and various clubs provide students with a rich array of extracurricular activities.
3. A very strong faculty team: The school has a particularly good saying: "Teachers' goal is your child's success."
4. Advanced hardware facilities.
These are all reasons why the school is particularly favored by parents.
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A FindingSchool User
4 / 5
07/08/2020
Reviews from other languages
Founded in 1893, The Harker School, with 2,040 students, is California's largest private school, with a dedicated campus in San Jose divided into three divisions: elementary, middle, and high school. The Harker School is a private school in Silicon Valley that has earned international recognition for its top-tier academics, high-quality teachers, and student achievements. The matriculation rate for Harker students to universities and conservatories is 100%. Harker offers 29 AP courses, 159 elective courses, and 26 sports. The school tailors students' academic programs based on their individual needs, personal interests, and social and emotional growth. Each student's academic and extracurricular activities are customized to their individual needs and hobbies. In addition to core subjects, the school encourages students to explore their interests in other fields, including communication studies, debate, journalism, business and entrepreneurship, and performing and visual arts. Harker has over 50 clubs, allowing children to choose one or more activities to participate in and cultivate their hobbies. Student counselors, teachers, coaches, and club leaders work with students to help them balance their academics and extracurricular activities.
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A FindingSchool User
5 / 5
05/14/2020
Reviews from other languages
I have personally visited and inspected The Harker School. It is a top day school located in Silicon Valley, San Jose, California, close to Apple and Google. Harker's STEM programs are considered among the best in the nation, and the school is highly recognized and valued by local Chinese American families. Harker is one of the nation's premier preparatory schools and the largest of its kind in California, with senior graduates admitted to the most prestigious universities nationwide.

Academically outstanding, 91% of students achieve scores of 4 or higher on AP exams. Furthermore, a large number of students receive national and school-level scholarships and national honors each year.

F. Harker School is one of the schools in California with the best computer science research mentorship programs, almost sweeping half of the awards in national high-tech competitions every year.

The school boasts computer science classrooms equipped with the latest technological hardware and software, art and dance studios, a technology center, gymnasium, library, and more.

The school's performing arts program is a major feature, including vocal music, instrumental music, musical theater, stage plays, and dance. 45% of high school students elect performing arts courses, with an average of 11 on-campus performances each year.

Leveraging relevant coursework and unique opportunities through Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial engine, the school's business and entrepreneurship programs enable students to become emerging leaders in fields such as engineering, technology, finance, marketing, hospitality, and tourism. The application process for this school is quite competitive, and it is advised that students plan several years in advance.
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Frequently Ask Questions about The Harker School

Tell me a bit about The Harker School.
The Harker School is Co-ed private day school located in California, US. It was founded 1893 , and currently has about 1975 students, 0.40% of whom are international students.

For more official information, please visit http://www.harker.org.
Does The Harker School have rigorous academic requirements?
The Harker School is offering 29 AP courses.

In recent years, 94 of their students score 4 and 5 in AP exams.

The Harker School also have 62% of faculties whose degrees are master and above.
Where do The Harker School students typically go for their colleges?
Based on the most recent matriculation data, 29.74% go to top 50 US universities and colleges*, 35.73% go to top 25, and about 9.74% go to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and MIT.

*Ranking is based on the 2024 US News College Ranking.
What is the application requirement for The Harker School?
Similar to most private schools in the US, The Harker School’s typical admission requirements include school transcript, recommendation letter, application essay, and interview (often optional, but highly recommended).
What is the Day Tuition for The Harker School?
The day tuition for The Harker School in 2024 is $66,950 For international students, there are additional fees, such as student management fee and other fees associated with managing international students.

For more information, please contact school’s admission team at admissions@harker.org .
Where is The Harker School located?
The Harker School is located in the State of California of USA. The closest major city is San Jose, which is about 3 miles away from school. Most families can choose San Jose International Airport to travel in and out of school.
How popular is The Harker School on the FindingSchool network?
Based on FindingSchool monthly traffic data as well as onsite search record, The Harker School is among the most popular schools, within top 122 for all schools on FindingSchool.

Also The Harker School has been favorited by 233 users.
How do I complete an application for The Harker School?
The first stop is to carefully review the school profile on FindingSchool to learn more about The Harker School. Most of them are directly provided by the school.

Also it is highly recommended to visit The Harker School’s official site: http://www.harker.org or call them at 408-249-2510.
Are there additional schools that are located close to The Harker School?
Yes, here are few: Sierra Elementary And High School, Archbishop Mitty High School and Lynbrook High School.

The closest major city is San Jose. You can find out more schools near San Jose here.
What is the FindingSchool rating for The Harker School?
The overall rating for The Harker School is A+.

The section ratings of The Harker School are:
A+ for Matriculation
A+ for Academics
A for Extracurriculum
A for Community
A- for Students and Parents reviews

Nearby City

San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley, is the largest city in Northern California by both population and area. As of 2020, the city had a population of over 1 million, making it the most populous city in the Bay Area. Known for its innovation, San Jose is a hub for technology and startups, hosting major companies like Cisco and Adobe. The city is also celebrated for its cultural diversity, thriving arts scene, and Mediterranean climate, making it a vibrant and dynamic place to live and work.

Population (2022) 948,279
Cost of Living Higher than average 53%

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