The University Engineering Initiative Act is paying big dividends for the University of Kansas.

In the fifth year of the program, KU now has more engineering graduates than any other university in the state. That’s no small feat in a short period of time.

The 10-year, $105 million University Engineering Initiative was launched in 2012 by the Kansas Board of Regents. The goal of the program was to increase the number of engineering graduates at KU, Kansas State and Wichita State to 1,365 per year by 2021.

Since the program began, engineering enrollment at KU has grown 25 percent from 1,898 in 2012 to 2,381 in 2016, according to statistics from the Board of Regents. Perhaps more importantly, KU had 499 students graduate with engineering degrees last year, more than Kansas State (494) and Wichita State (292).

In 2012, Kansas State had 480 engineering graduates compared to just 335 for KU. The nearly 50 percent increase in engineering graduates has pushed KU well past its initiative goal of 419 engineering graduates by 2021. And KU reached its goal five years ahead of schedule.

Under the initiative, KU, KSU and WSU receive $3.5 million each per year in state legislative appropriations, starting in 2012. The schools match that money dollar for dollar, meaning the initiative is contributing $210 million toward engineering programs over the lifespan of the program.

At KU, the state money has gone toward building two new facilities and hiring faculty to keep up with rising enrollment.

The Learned Engineering Expansion Phase 2 opened in August 2015. The state-of-the-art $65 million, 110,100-square-foot building — now the centerpiece of KU’s engineering complex on 15th Street — is connected to Learned Hall, Spahr Library, Eaton Hall and the Measurement, Materials and Sustainable Environment Center (M2SEC).

The other building is the 25,000-square-foot Structural Testing and Student Projects Facility on West Campus, which opened in fall 2014. The building includes a 40-foot-high strong wall and two 20-ton cranes, dedicated to large-scale structures research.

The investment in engineering degrees is wise for any university. Engineers are in high demand and are well compensated. In fact, engineering degrees occupy 11 of the top 15 spots on compensation research firm PayScale’s ranking of starting salaries by undergraduate degree earned.

By expanding its engineering programs, facilities, enrollment and graduates, KU has seized the opportunity afforded by the University Engineering Initiative Act to stake its claim as the state’s top engineering school. It’s a smart move by KU.