Is Grand Junction High School a good school?

Grand Junction High School ranks 147 th of 349 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Grand Junction High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,590 students attended Grand Junction High School.

What is the racial makeup of Grand Junction High School?

Students at Grand Junction High School are 68% White, 25% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools feed into Grand Junction High School?

Grand Junction High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Chipeta Elementary School Elementary : Dos Rios Elementary School Elementary : Mesa View Elementary School Elementary : Orchard Avenue Elementary School Elementary : Pear Park Elementary School Elementary : Pomona Elementary School Elementary : Tope Elementary School Middle : Orchard Mesa Middle School Middle : West Middle School

Grand Junction High School

Summary:

Grand Junction High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Grand Junction, Colorado, with a total enrollment of 1,522 students. The school is part of the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which is ranked 52 out of 116 school districts in Colorado and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Grand Junction High School has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with 26.48% Hispanic students and 4.01% students of two or more races, its academic performance is generally lower than the district and state averages, particularly in mathematics. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 22% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in SAT Mathematics, compared to 25% for the district and 31% for the state. Additionally, the school has consistently ranked in the lower half of Colorado high schools, with a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger in the 2023-2024 school year, placing it 147th out of 349 high schools in the state. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 35.74% in 2022-2023 to 48.04% in 2020-2021.

When compared to other high schools in the same district, such as Fruita Monument High School and Palisade High School, Grand Junction High School generally performs worse on standardized tests and has a lower ranking. However, the school's performance varies significantly among different student subgroups, with male students and Hispanic students generally performing better than female students and White students, respectively. The school also ranks relatively well for low socioeconomic status students and gifted and talented students compared to other Colorado high schools. Despite these variations, the overall trend of declining performance at Grand Junction High School is concerning and may warrant further investigation.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1400 N 5th St
Grand Junction, CO 81501-7525

(970) 254-6900

District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

SchoolDigger Rank:
147^th of 349 Colorado High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,493

Student/teacher ratio: 18.9

Number of students: 1,590

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.3%

Hispanic:

25.2%

Two or more races:

3.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48.1%

See top rated Colorado high schools

Compare Grand Junction High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Grand Junction High School ranks better than 57.9% of high schools in Colorado. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked high schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.83. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Grand Junction High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Grand Junction High School has the largest high school student body size in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51. Racial makeup is: White (68.3%), Hispanic (25.2%), two or more races (3.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 48.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Grand Junction High School is 18.9. 4 high schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Grand Junction High School employs 83.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Grand Junction High School is $13,493. 3 high schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Grand Junction High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Grand Junction High School 147^th of 349 Colorado public high schools. (See Grand Junction High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51:

SchoolDigger ranks Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 52^nd of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Grand Junction High School?

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Rank History for Grand Junction High School

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Rank History for all students at Grand Junction High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	61.01	109^th	279	60.9%
2005	62.48	111^th	280	60.4%
2006	57.10	128^th	286	55.2%
2007	57.42	138^th	298	53.7%
2008	61.50	129^th	301	57.1%
2009	55.77	145^th	310	53.2%
2010	60.78	144^th	327	56.0%
2011	62.16	142^nd	337	57.9%
2012	57.51	157^th	334	53.0%
2013	57.27	157^th	349	55.0%
2014	57.28	160^th	369	56.6%
2015	46.57	115^th	292	60.6%
2016	30.11	168^th	255	34.1%
2017	31.44	156^th	256	39.1%
2018	42.48	207^th	388	46.6%
2019	44.48	211^th	411	48.7%
2021	21.20	163^rd	210	22.4%
2022	25.15	160^th	221	27.6%
2023	45.62	177^th	349	49.3%
2024	53.83	147^th	349	57.9%

See the entire list of Colorado High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Grand Junction High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	38.70	28^th	48	41.7%
2022	16.37	49^th	56	12.5%
2023	7.38	58^th	62	6.5%
2024	40.01	42^nd	61	31.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Grand Junction High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	31.08	46^th	60	23.3%
2022	26.95	55^th	77	28.6%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Grand Junction High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	40.89	117^th	188	37.8%
2022	39.06	121^st	203	40.4%
2023	51.46	96^th	200	52.0%
2024	54.34	86^th	211	59.2%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Grand Junction High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	35.66	153^rd	239	36.0%
2022	38.96	151^st	257	41.2%
2023	39.13	153^rd	254	39.8%
2024	45.78	134^th	257	47.9%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Grand Junction High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	26.97	53^rd	74	28.4%
2024	37.09	55^th	84	34.5%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Grand Junction High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	60.30	49^th	118	58.5%
2022	46.33	73^rd	108	32.4%
2023	55.25	73^rd	135	45.9%
2024	62.75	59^th	140	57.9%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Grand Junction High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	39.15	143^rd	240	40.4%
2022	45.06	136^th	253	46.2%
2023	46.16	131^st	252	48.0%
2024	55.25	103^rd	256	59.8%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Grand Junction High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	37.56	99^th	181	45.3%
2022	33.96	131^st	205	36.1%
2023	41.20	106^th	198	46.5%
2024	46.64	97^th	199	51.3%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Grand Junction High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	18.13	186^th	225	17.3%
2022	25.73	169^th	228	25.9%
2023	26.12	175^th	234	25.2%
2024	38.00	139^th	229	39.3%

See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Grand Junction High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	1379	18	8	181	8	n/a	n/a	1594
1989	1339	16	20	194	5	n/a	n/a	1574
1990	1337	12	17	201	4	n/a	n/a	1571
1991	1313	11	16	190	2	n/a	n/a	1532
1992	1282	17	14	213	4	n/a	n/a	1530
1993	1243	22	19	224	5	n/a	n/a	1513
1994	1262	15	22	243	8	n/a	n/a	1550
1995	1387	12	18	252	13	n/a	n/a	1682
1996	1387	12	18	252	13	n/a	n/a	1682
1997	1388	14	18	240	14	n/a	n/a	1674
1998	1410	15	20	221	32	n/a	n/a	1698
1999	1377	17	25	199	20	n/a	n/a	1638
2000	1355	20	22	187	17	n/a	n/a	1601
2001	1349	20	24	211	12	n/a	n/a	1616
2002	1306	27	16	230	21	n/a	n/a	1600
2003	1306	27	16	230	21	n/a	n/a	1600
2004	1293	25	23	265	18	n/a	n/a	1624
2005	1250	21	22	277	19	n/a	n/a	1589
2006	1311	23	18	270	27	n/a	n/a	1649
2007	1357	17	22	281	24	n/a	n/a	1701
2008	1355	19	21	276	24	n/a	n/a	1695
2009	1386	32	17	288	16	n/a	n/a	1739
2010	1372	30	19	318	18	n/a	n/a	1757
2011	1303	20	17	347	16	2	69	1774
2012	1276	21	15	378	14	1	55	1760
2013	1204	15	17	368	17	1	54	1676
2014	1208	17	21	399	12	0	58	1715
2015	1228	14	21	398	12	2	66	1741
2016	1207	8	16	402	17	1	67	1718
2017	1173	7	21	403	16	0	64	1684
2018	1099	8	24	362	12	0	68	1573
2019	1043	12	22	356	11	2	88	1534
2020	974	9	19	360	9	0	81	1452
2021	928	14	15	342	9	1	69	1378
2022	995	11	20	375	9	1	68	1479
2023	1017	9	26	403	4	2	61	1522
2024	1086	13	24	401	3	3	60	1590

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Grand Junction High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1594	89.5	17.8	n/a
1989	1574	91.8	17.1	10.5
1990	1571	87.6	17.9	10.6
1991	1532	86.4	17.7	7.4
1992	1530	86.5	17.6	8.8
1993	1513	85.7	17.7	9.5
1994	1550	83.8	18.5	8.5
1995	1682	84.9	19.8	22.4
1996	1682	84.9	19.8	22.4
1997	1674	83.4	20.1	23.1
1998	1698	81.6	20.8	19.6
1999	1638	85.4	19.2	18.2
2000	1601	86.7	18.5	22.9
2001	1616	88.1	18.3	25.6
2002	1600	86.8	18.4	26
2003	1600	86.8	18.4	26
2004	1624	86.0	18.9	30.8
2005	1589	84.9	18.7	32.1
2006	1649	87.3	18.9	33.4
2007	1701	82.3	20.7	22.2
2008	1695	84.7	20.0	31.1
2009	1739	85.6	20.3	29.7
2010	1757	89.0	19.7	34.4
2011	1774	85.4	20.7	36.2
2012	1760	86.9	20.2	37.5
2013	1676	86.3	19.4	39
2014	1715	88.8	19.3	32.6
2015	1741	88.0	19.7	34.4
2016	1718	88.0	19.5	39.5
2017	1684	89.9	18.7	41.4
2018	1573	90.6	17.3	37.8
2019	1534	89.3	17.1	44
2020	1452	87.0	16.6	35.8
2021	1378	74.8	18.4	48
2022	1479	77.4	19.1	41.2
2023	1522	80.6	18.8	35.7
2024	1590	83.7	18.9	48.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Grand Junction High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1594	89.5	17.8	n/a
1989	1574	91.8	17.1	10.5
1990	1571	87.6	17.9	10.6
1991	1532	86.4	17.7	7.4
1992	1530	86.5	17.6	8.8
1993	1513	85.7	17.7	9.5
1994	1550	83.8	18.5	8.5
1995	1682	84.9	19.8	22.4
1996	1682	84.9	19.8	22.4
1997	1674	83.4	20.1	23.1
1998	1698	81.6	20.8	19.6
1999	1638	85.4	19.2	18.2
2000	1601	86.7	18.5	22.9
2001	1616	88.1	18.3	25.6
2002	1600	86.8	18.4	26
2003	1600	86.8	18.4	26
2004	1624	86.0	18.9	30.8
2005	1589	84.9	18.7	32.1
2006	1649	87.3	18.9	33.4
2007	1701	82.3	20.7	22.2
2008	1695	84.7	20.0	31.1
2009	1739	85.6	20.3	29.7
2010	1757	89.0	19.7	34.4
2011	1774	85.4	20.7	36.2
2012	1760	86.9	20.2	37.5
2013	1676	86.3	19.4	39
2014	1715	88.8	19.3	32.6
2015	1741	88.0	19.7	34.4
2016	1718	88.0	19.5	39.5
2017	1684	89.9	18.7	41.4
2018	1573	90.6	17.3	37.8
2019	1534	89.3	17.1	44
2020	1452	87.0	16.6	35.8
2021	1378	74.8	18.4	48
2022	1479	77.4	19.1	41.2
2023	1522	80.6	18.8	35.7
2024	1590	83.7	18.9	48.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Grand Junction High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,271
2020	$13,254
2021	$11,873
2022	$12,394
2023	$13,493

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Grand Junction High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 211^th of 411 High schools	Ranks 177^th of 349 High schools	0.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1534	1522	0.8%
African American	12	9	25%
American Indian	11	4	63.6%
Asian	22	26	18.2%
Hispanic	356	403	13.2%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	1043	1017	2.5%
Two or More Races	88	61	30.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	44%	35.7%	8.3%

Schools Near Grand Junction High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2024)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2024)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2024)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2024)	SAT Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	CMAS English Language Arts (2024)		CMAS Math (2024)		CMAS Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT10 Reading and Writing 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	PSAT9 Reading and Writing 9th Grade	PSAT9 Mathematics 9th Grade	SAT Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
Grand Junction High School	Public	9-12	1400 N 5th St	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6900	1,590	84	18.9	48.1%	1,086 (68.3%)	13 (0.8%)	401 (25.2%)	24 (1.5%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	60 (3.8%)	53.8	147^th of 349 public high schools	57.9%		45.6	177^th of 349 public high schools	49.3%	30	67.0	28.0	73.0	43.0	59.0	22.0					36.2	$13,493
R-5 High School	Public	9-12	455 N. 22nd St.Ste. B	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-6880	218	19	11.4	74.3%	122 (56.0%)	3 (1.4%)	85 (39.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.2%)								(n/a)					22.0							$18,291
Mesa Valley Community School	Public, Charter	6-12	609 25 Road	Grand Junction	81505	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 254-7202	170	10	16.7		121 (71.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (16.5%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (10.6%)	81.8	53^rd of 349 public high schools	84.8%		80.5	63^rd of 349 public high schools	81.9%	10	90.0	40.0	88.0	64.0	65.0		50.0	50.0	50.0	36.0		$10,308
Grand Mesa Youth Services Center	Public	5-12	360 28 Rd	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Division of Youth Services	No	No	No	No	(970) 242-1521																			(n/a)												$00
Grand Mesa Youth Services Center	Public	5-12	360 28 Road	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 242-8445	10	0			4 (40.0%)	2 (20.0%)	4 (40.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$6,431
Central High School	Public	9-12	3130 E1/2 Road	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6200	1,443	79	18.1	58.6%	855 (59.3%)	6 (0.4%)	494 (34.2%)	12 (0.8%)	5 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	68 (4.7%)	40.5	200^th of 349 public high schools	42.7%					(n/a)	69.0	31.0	59.0	28.0	47.0	21.0					26.0	$13,447
Fruita Monument High School	Public	10-12	1102 Wildcat Ave	Fruita	81521	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6600	1,273	67	19.0	29.5%	1,033 (81.1%)	5 (0.4%)	165 (13.0%)	17 (1.3%)	7 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (3.5%)	64.8	116^th of 349 public high schools	66.8%		59.8	130^th of 349 public high schools	62.8%	14	76.0	35.0			69.0	33.0					47.8	$14,379
Palisade High School	Public	9-12	3679 G Road	Palisade	81526	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-4800	1,069	58	18.3	51.4%	693 (64.8%)	11 (1.0%)	298 (27.9%)	6 (0.6%)	8 (0.7%)	4 (0.4%)	49 (4.6%)	54.9	142^nd of 349 public high schools	59.3%		56.4	134^th of 349 public high schools	61.6%	8	71.0	45.0	62.0	38.0	53.0	31.0					33.3	$14,050

Grand Junction High School

Grand Junction High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51:

What do you think?

Rank History for Grand Junction High School

Rank History for all students at Grand Junction High School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Grand Junction High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Grand Junction High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Grand Junction High School

Rank History for Female students at Grand Junction High School

Rank History for Disabled students at Grand Junction High School

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Grand Junction High School

Rank History for Male students at Grand Junction High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Grand Junction High School

Rank History for White students at Grand Junction High School

Enrollment information for Grand Junction High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Grand Junction High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Grand Junction High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Grand Junction High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Grand Junction High School

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Grand Junction High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Grand Junction High School

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