According to designer Ezra Sidran, The War College's sales were hurt by the closure of the game's publisher. He wrote in 2016, "To this day I have no idea how many units it sold. We never got a royalty statement."[5]
William R. Trotter was largely positive toward the game in his review for PC Gamer US, dubbing it "a mature, deep, thoughtful simulation that embodies a radical departure from the wargaming norm".[2] Barry Brenesal of PC Games was less impressed: "this simulation's sum doesn't live up to the promise of its parts", he argued.[3] In Computer Game Review, Scott Gehrs wrote, "While I cannot say that The War College is a title that everyone will like, I can say that for the serious war strategist or student of military history, The War College is the place to study."[4]