About Us

The Harker School is one of the nation’s top college prep schools for offering students in kindergarten-grade 12 a high-quality, well-rounded and world-class education.

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About Us

The Harker School is a nonprofit K-12, coed, private school in Silicon Valley that has earned international recognition for its top academics, quality teachers and student achievements. Founded in 1893 and educating 1,975 students, Harker is the largest independent school of its kind in California. We have beautiful, expansive San Jose campuses specifically designed for each of our three divisions - lower, middle and upper - where our students enjoy outstanding facilities, leading-edge technology and inspiring faculty who help them become the best they can be.

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Our Philosophy & Mission

At Harker, we celebrate our century-old history and tradition of developing lifelong learners, well-rounded global citizens and kind, respectful individuals. Learn more:

Graduation

The Harker School: A World-Class Education for Tomorrow’s Leaders

Harker students receive a well-rounded education grounded in academics, enriching extracurricular activities and clubs, team-building athletics and an unwavering emphasis on character development that attracts college acceptances from top universities across the country. And, most importantly, students develop a lifelong passion for learning.

Why families choose Harker:

Leading academics: We offer an exceptional academic program characterized by an innovative, challenging curriculum.
Robust programs and extracurricular activities: Our global learning opportunities, competitive sports teams and rich, varied student clubs inspire our students to reach their full potential.
Experienced teachers: Our teaching team is the cornerstone of a Harker education. With a passion for their craft, their goal is your child’s success.
Outstanding facilities: Our students enjoy fully equipped facilities with leading-edge technology to support dynamic, experiential learning inside the classroom and outdoors.

Learn more about academics and our full array of programs offered at the following:

Historical Photo

OUR HISTORY

Founded in 1893, Harker's journey from Manzanita Hall in Palo Alto to The Harker School of today in San Jose has been momentous. We celebrated our 125th anniversary in 2018 – explore Harker’s fascinating journey!

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Harker remains the most significant professional and personal influence on me. Harker provided me with the study skills to succeed in school, and more important, the ethics and values to succeed in life.
John Owen ’85, judge, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

MS speech and debate

Facts, Stats & Resources

Our students, teachers and facilities continue to earn awards and recognition for achievements that inspire learning here at Harker and beyond. Read more: