| Rank/Team | Record | Last Week |
| 1. UCLA | 16-3-0 | 3 |
| 2. Washington | 14-2-1 | 2 |
| 3. Virginia | 16-2-3 | 1 |
| 4. Indiana | 13-2-3 | 4 |
| 5. William & Mary | 18-2-1 | 5 |
| 6. SMU | 14-4-1 | 7 |
| 7. UNC Greensboro | 21-1-0 | 9 |
| 8. St. John’s | 17-2-2 | 6 |
| 9. Florida International | 13-4-2 | 8 |
| 10. Bowling Green | 17-3-1 | 10 |
| 11. South Florida | 17-3-0 | 12 |
| 12. Maryland | 13-5-3 | nr |
| 13. Fresno State | 15-4-1 | 13 |
| 14. Harvard | 15-1-0 | 15 |
| 15. George Mason | 13-5-3 | 14 |
| 16. Furman | 16-4-1 | 11 |
| 17. Notre Dame | 13-6-2 | nr |
| 18. Air Force | 14-3-3 | 17 |
| 19. Evansville | 18-4-0 | nr |
| 20. Connecticut | 15-3-3 | 19 |
NOTE: This is Soccer America’s final Top 20 of 1996. The NCAA tournament begins Nov. 22.