Despite a dispute this summer that threatened Westmoreland County Community College's accreditation, enrollment increased 3.5 percent this fall.
The college's roster of 3,287 full-time students is the most it has ever had, President Steven Ender said.
Traditional-age students are the fastest growing demographic at the college based in Hempfield.
"The cost of higher education in the commonwealth for a middle-class family certainly puts a strain on cash flow, and I think families are really looking at community college as a very viable alternative for the first two years of higher education," Ender said.
Total enrollment, which includes part-time students, stands at 6,433 this fall. Enrollment in online courses is 12 percent higher than last fall.
The increases occurred despite a highly publicized disagreement between college officials and Westmoreland County commissioners over hiring practices at the school.
The dispute threatened the college's accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which said there should be no political influence exerted on the college. The issue has been resolved.
Ender said the dispute did not affect potential students. The college sent letters to students assuring them the accreditation was not in jeopardy.
"I instructed the staff that if anybody called the college concerned about accreditation, I was going to return those phone calls personally," Ender said. "I only spoke with five families."
Ender said students are attracted by the college's articulation agreements with institutions such as California University of Pennsylvania, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Seton Hill University, which allow for students to smoothly transfer their credits.
"As people begin to see they can take the first two years (at WCCC) and save literally tens of thousands of dollars, it just makes a lot of sense to families," Ender said.
Ender said that as the economy suffers and people lose their jobs, community colleges typically see an enrollment boost of those returning to school to gain more skills.
The college has added sports teams, including men's and women's basketball, as well as choir, orchestra and theater programs that include both students and community members.
"The college is doing more and more to market itself as a comprehensive undergraduate first two years than we have in the past," he said.
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