Harker's tuition for Grades 9 to 12 in 2026-27 is $66,950. Harker also awards about $10 million in need-based financial aid each year, and says applying for aid does not affect admission. This guide explains what tuition covers, how the aid application works, and which dates matter. All of it comes from Harker's own pages, linked at the end. Figures change each year, so confirm them with Harker before you budget.
What tuition is for 2026-27
Harker publishes tuition by division. For 2026-27, Grades 9 to 12 are $66,950. Harker lists lower figures for younger grades, but those do not apply to a student entering Grade 9.
Harker says tuition includes before- and after-school care, lunch, and most school expenses. The examples it gives are the shuttle between its campuses, yearbooks, local field trips and athletic uniforms. Laptops, which are required for middle and upper school students, and textbooks are not included. Families may also pay extra for particular after-school activities or optional travel tied to extracurriculars. Harker does not publish a dollar amount for these extras, so ask the school for an estimate if the total matters to your decision.
Who can get aid, and who cannot
Harker offers need-based aid for kindergarten through Grade 12. It does not offer academic, athletic, artistic or other merit scholarships. All of its aid rests on demonstrated financial need.
Harker's admission process is need-blind. The admission committee reads applications without access to financial aid information, and aid is reviewed separately, after admission decisions are made. Harker says directly that it hopes families who are unsure they will qualify will still apply.
If you think your family might need aid at any point during high school, Harker encourages you to apply when you first apply for admission. Families can request aid later, but Harker says assistance may not be available unless there has been a significant change in circumstances.
How to apply, step by step
First, submit the admission application. On it, answer yes to the question "Do you intend to apply for financial aid?" Harker then sends instructions and a Harker-specific code. Use that code to create your account on Clarity, the secure third-party platform Harker uses to assess need.
Second, finish the Clarity application and upload your documents by January 5, 2027. Harker lists the 2026 federal tax return (Form 1040 with all schedules) if available, 2026 W-2 forms, 2026 1099 forms if they apply, and anything else Clarity requests. If your 2026 tax return is not ready by January 5, submit it through Clarity by February 16, 2027.
Third, wait for the decision. Harker's financial aid committee reviews Clarity's recommendation and your family's information, then sets a family contribution and an award. For new applicants, aid decisions come out at the same time as admission decisions, in mid-March. If your child is admitted and awarded aid, the details arrive with the enrollment materials.
What Clarity asks of you
Harker says most families finish the Clarity application in about 30 minutes. You authorize Clarity to retrieve and verify your tax information directly from the IRS. Clarity charges a $65 application fee that also covers other participating schools, and the fee is automatically waived for families who meet Clarity's income guidelines. The platform is fully translated into Spanish, and live help is available by chat, email and phone. Clarity also runs information webinars for all its schools, and the last one listed for this season is Tuesday, December 8, at 5:30 p.m.
Two rules that surprise families
If parents are divorced, separated or were never married, both legal parents must complete a financial aid application and submit the required documents, no matter the custody arrangement. Harker says exceptions are considered only when legal documentation supports a waiver.
Aid is not permanent. Families who receive aid reapply every year with updated tax returns and documents, and Harker reviews each award based on current circumstances.
What the sample awards show
Harker publishes six sample families. Their incomes range from $34,600 to $496,449, with awards per student from $31,950 to $66,450. Harker describes these as illustrative models meant to encourage families from many backgrounds to apply, not as a formula or a promise. Because home equity, savings, the number of children in private school and other factors vary, do not try to predict your own award from them.
Dates to remember
| Date | What happens | | --- | --- | | January 5, 2027 | Admission application and Clarity documents due | | February 16, 2027 | Last day for a late 2026 tax return in Clarity | | Mid-March 2027 | Admission and aid decisions released together | | March 19, 2027, noon | Contract and deposit due | | June 15, 2027 | Tuition balance due |
Questions to ask Harker
Harker's financial aid office answers questions at fainfo@harker.org. Harker also holds its own aid information session each December, but the date is not listed on the pages we reviewed, so look for it in your Ravenna account. A few useful questions: What are the current estimates for laptop and textbook costs? How are siblings considered? When would an update for a change in income be reviewed?
Where to go next
For help thinking through a private school budget and application timeline, the EduAvenues high school admissions page describes how we work with families. Aid decisions themselves rest with Harker alone.
Sources
HarkerPrep by EduAvenues is an independent service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The Harker School.