In the spring, Harker upper school students participated in the annual Physics Bowl, organized by the American Association of Physics Teachers, and finished with the top overall Division II team score. Harker was also the highest-scoring Division I school in its region. Ashvin Swaminathan, grade 12, was one of the top 10 overall division II scorers, and Rahul Sridhar, grade 11, was the highest Division II scorer in his region.

Every year, an estimated 10,000 students participate in the Physics Bowl, in which students take a test administered by the participating schools. First-year physics students are placed in the Division I category, and second-year physics students take the test in the Division II category. Each division is made up of 15 regions.