Nearly 14,000 high school seniors in Triangle-area public schools - almost 9,000 of them in Wake County alone - will step off the graduation stage this week and into the proverbial "real world."

For most, the transition into adulthood begins with their choice of four options: attend a four-year college or university, enroll at a community college, enlist in a branch of the military, or begin the search for a full-time job.

In each case, the risks and rewards have changed since they first entered high school four years ago.

Grads bound for universities or four-year colleges face the burden of mounting costs.

In North Carolina, state schools are as pricey as they've ever been. In the past decade, tuition for public universities in the state has grown as much as 200 percent, nearly doubling in the last four years. And there's no relief in sight - the UNC system has approved tuition and fee increases averaging 6.8 percent for the 2011-12 school year, although it remains unclear until the budget passes.

Such costs leave many new graduates questioning the benefits of the higher education system. A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center reveals that 75 percent of Americans believe college is unaffordable. Of those, 57 percent believe it's not worth the price tag.

However, graduates themselves believe the investment pays off, according to the recently published report. Still, the average college student today leaves school with roughly $23,000 in student debt.

That's why some high school guidance counselors say their conversations with students have changed.

"Three or four years ago, they'd come in my office and we'd talk about what school they most wanted to go to," said Knightdale High counselor Stanley Purvis. "These days, they come in and we talk about the options they can afford."

Because of that, a growing number of graduates are turning to community colleges for help.

Affordable options

The state's community college system saw enrollment increase 25 percent over the last three years. At Wake Tech, enrollment skyrocketed to 22,800 students in 2009-2010 from 16,900 in 2006-07. And in 2010, 21 percent of grads from Wake public schools enrolled at Wake Tech - up from 11 percent in 2006.

Attending a community college often means living with parents for another year or two, but those who use North Carolina's transfer program finish college with more cash in their wallet. The result: community colleges have emerged as popular and respectable alternatives to enrolling in a university straight out of high school.

"Just a few years ago, people would perceive community colleges as the schools you went if you couldn't get in anywhere else," Purvis said. "Now, we're seeing some of our best students doing the college transfer program because it's cheaper, and in the end, they end up with the degree from the college they wanted all along."

But not every high school graduate in the class of 2011 wants to find themselves in another classroom come the fall. Some see the call to duty as a call to stability.

Boot camp

Military service provides many new graduates with an immediate, consistent income and the opportunity to gradually earn a college degree.

That's what East Wake High senior Casey Parker is shooting for. Like many high school seniors, Parker based his decision on what he could earn and afford. A year ago, Parker was reviewing the costs of higher education. He says he has a 3.2 grade-point-average and wanted to study photography at N.C. State. But with an estimated $11,000 in debt staring him in the face, he said, he found joining the Marines more appealing.

"I want to make a career in the infantry," Parker said. "I'll probably take some college courses, but I'd like to become a recon sniper."

In Wake County, Parker is part of a growing trend. Nationally, he's an exception.

Since 2007, the number of high school seniors who, in an end-of-year survey, said they planned to enlist has nearly doubled. In 2010, 239 Wake graduates in the survey said they intended to enlist - up from 136 grads in 2007. Numbers from the Class of 2011 won't be released until later this summer.

Nationally, recruitment is slowing. Active U.S. Army enlistments dropped from 80,400 in 2007 to 74,500 in 2010. Army documents show the goal in 2011 for new active Army recruits is 64,000 - likely the result of the rising number of conflicts abroad.

Military recruiters won't say whether the wars have caused those numbers to drop.

"We tell everyone that there's a chance they'll be deployed into combat," said Douglas Smith, of the U.S. Army recruiting command at Fort Knox, Ky.

No matter. Parker says he's excited to ship out to Parris Island, S.C. in September to start what he calls his "adventure."

Others will take their chances in a desolate job market.

Earning a paycheck

And as more than 430,000 unemployed North Carolinians can attest: The search for work is far from an adventure. The unemployment rate in North Carolina is 9.7 percent - up from about 4.8 percent in June 2007, the Employment Security Commission reports. And for those with only a high school diploma, finding a job will be an uphill battle.

"Four years ago, it was easier to get jobs. ... Now, employers are getting reams of applications for just one position," said Larry Parker, a spokesman for the state's Employment Security Commission.

What's more, those who choose to immediately search for full-time work may come up empty for weeks, if not months, Parker said.

"(High school grads) are facing competition for temporary summer work from folks who have been laid off for months and have (college) degrees," he said.

A recent Georgetown University study of new Census data found that college graduates earn 84 percent more over a lifetime than those with only a high school diploma.

However, landing full-time work comes with perks: Daily grinders can afford to move out of their parents' house, and they won't need to scrounge up quarters from their car floor to buy a Big Mac.