The required course in religion, which students take during the senior year, provides a general survey of the Old and New Testaments. Electives include two courses in computer science and an art class. Students are assigned to academic classes on the basis of their past performance and the results of achievement tests administered by the Guidance Office. The average class size is 13. There is a 2-hour study period each night, Sunday through Thursday, which is supervised by faculty members.
Students spend a considerable portion of their science class time in well-equipped labs.
Hargrave is known for its strong reading program. The program is offered to any student who wants to become more proficient and effective in reading, regardless of his or her present reading level. All students are tested upon entering Hargrave, and those who want to participate in the reading improvement program are grouped according to their scores. Most classes at Hargrave are held in three main academic buildings. Laboratories for physical science, biology, chemistry, and physics are located adjacent to the lecture rooms.