It consistently been ranked in the top ten comprehensive colleges in the Northeast by U.S. News & World Report.

A "Men's Division" was established during World War II, and the first graduate degree was conferred by the college in 1942.

In 1957 the two-year program, under the name "Sage Junior College of Albany", was granted authority to offer its own degrees.

[1] The Sage Colleges teams participated as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III.

Men's sports (Sage College of Albany) included basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and volleyball; while women's sports (Russell Sage College) included basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball.