The following is the Soccer America 1997 Women’s Preseason Collegiate Top 20 as compiled by the editorial staff of Soccer America.
| Rank/Team | Record | ’96 Final Rank |
| 1. North Carolina | 25-1-0 | 2 |
| 2. Notre Dame | 24-2-0 | 1 |
| 3. Portland | 19-1-2 | 3 |
| 4. Connecticut | 22-3-0 | 4 |
| 5. Nebraska | 23-1-0 | 5 |
| 6. Santa Clara | 18-4-2 | 8 |
| 7. Virginia | 12-7-2 | 10 |
| 8. Clemson | 15-7-1 | 11 |
| 9. Texas A&M | 19-4-0 | 6 |
| 10. Maryland | 19-5-2 | 13 |
| 11. William & Mary | 14-9-0 | 12 |
| 12. Duke | 10-10-3 | 20 |
| 13. Florida | 22-3-0 | 9 |
| 14. Harvard | 15-2-0 | 7 |
| 15. Wake Forest | 14-8-0 | 18 |
| 16. Stanford | 12-9-0 | nr |
| 17. Penn State | 15-5-2 | nr |
| 18. Wisconsin | 15-5-4 | 14 |
| 19. George Mason | 14-7-2 | 16 |
| 20. UNC Greensboro | 16-6-1 | 15 |