JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – The number of foreign students attending class at Missouri colleges and universities is on the rise.

New figures from the Institute of International Education show there were 18,205 international students enrolled at Missouri higher education institutions during the 2013-2014 school year.

That marked an increase of more than 5 percent from the previous year, which trailed the nationwide increase of 8 percent.

Missouri ranked 12th among states in terms of international students, the same position it held the previous year.

The University of Missouri-Columbia had the most foreign students, with 2,576, followed closely by Washington University in St. Louis, with 2,449.