IRVINE

First it won 11th place in the top 50 best regional liberal arts colleges in the West, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2001 guide to America’s Best Colleges.

Then, Concordia University drew record enrollment as it launched its 25th academic year, with more than 400 new students who will join the campus this fall.

“This is an increase of almost 50%,” said Gary McDaniel, vice president of enrollment services. “This year has been significant.”

And administrators are giving some credit to the college’s ranking in the magazine, which has put Concordia in the top tier for the second year in a row.

“It’s a very prestigious ranking,” said Doug Fleischli, director of communication at the university, which has a base in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. “A lot of parents look at this when deciding where their children will attend college.”