FRANKLIN—Enrollment is the highest in the history of Paul D. Camp Community College since its Franklin campus opened in 1971.

The college had 1,656 students in the fall semester, an increase of 10.4 percent over 2009.

“This is essentially due to the economy all across the country,” said PDCCC President Dr. Paul Wm. Conco. “(Community college) is a bargain. At a reasonable cost, it’s where the laid off worker goes to receive retraining. It’s where those who want to sharpen their skills to be more valuable go, and it’s where high school students go who want to save time and money through dual enrollment.”

PDCCC costs about one-third less than attending a four-year public institution, college officials said.

Also reaching an all-time high was the number of PDCCC graduates for 2009-10; 209 students graduated last May. The college graduated 197 during the 2008-09 year.

According to Virginia Community College System statistics, 19 of the 23 colleges in the system reported increases in enrollment in fall 2010. While the largest increase came at John Tyler Community College at 11.8 percent, PDCCC followed.