| Rk | Team | Record | Rating | Conference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syracuse | (11-0-0) | 0.8574 | Independent | |
| 2 | Mississippi | (10-1-0) | 0.7802 | Southeastern | |
| 3 | Georgia | (10-1-0) | 0.7394 | Southeastern | |
| 4 | Louisiana State | (9-2-0) | 0.7017 | Southeastern | |
| 5 | Arkansas | (9-2-0) | 0.6931 | Southwest | |
| 6 | Texas | (9-2-0) | 0.6859 | Southwest | |
| 7 | Washington | (10-1-0) | 0.6804 | AAWU | |
| 8 | Penn State | (9-2-0) | 0.6500 | Independent | |
| 9 | Texas Christian | (8-3-0) | 0.6357 | Southwest | |
| 10 | Northwestern | (6-3-0) | 0.6017 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | Southern California | (8-2-0) | 0.5894 | AAWU | |
| 12 | Purdue | (5-2-2) | 0.5730 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | Clemson | (9-2-0) | 0.5673 | Atlantic Coast | |
| 14 | Auburn | (7-3-0) | 0.5530 | Southeastern | |
| 15 | Georgia Tech | (6-5-0) | 0.5404 | Southeastern | |
| 16 | Wisconsin | (7-3-0) | 0.5381 | Big Ten | |
| 17 | Alabama | (7-2-2) | 0.5369 | Southeastern | |
| 18 | Illinois | (5-3-1) | 0.5314 | Big Ten | |
| 19 | Oklahoma | (7-3-0) | 0.5011 | Big Seven | |
| 20 | Michigan State | (5-4-0) | 0.4960 | Big Ten | |
| 21 | Oregon | (8-2-0) | 0.4642 | Independent | |
| 22 | Wyoming | (9-1-0) | 0.4501 | Mountain States | |
| 23 | Pittsburgh | (6-4-0) | 0.4403 | Independent | |
| 24 | Iowa | (5-4-0) | 0.4266 | Big Ten | |
| 25 | Notre Dame | (5-5-0) | 0.4237 | Independent | |
| 26 | Southern Methodist | (5-4-1) | 0.4163 | Southwest | |
| 27 | Tennessee | (5-4-1) | 0.4034 | Southeastern | |
| 28 | Miami (Florida) | (6-4-0) | 0.4025 | Independent | |
| 29 | Arizona State | (10-1-0) | 0.3956 | Border | |
| 30 | Vanderbilt | (5-3-2) | 0.3817 | Southeastern | |
| 31 | UCLA | (5-4-1) | 0.3787 | AAWU | |
| 32 | Florida | (5-4-1) | 0.3706 | Southeastern | |
| 33 | Missouri | (6-5-0) | 0.3676 | Big Seven | |
| 34 | Virginia Military Institute | (8-1-1) | 0.3632 | Southern | |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | (7-1-1) | 0.3578 | Ivy | |
| 36 | Indiana | (4-4-1) | 0.3485 | Big Ten | |
| 37 | Ohio State | (3-5-1) | 0.3411 | Big Ten | |
| 38 | Navy | (5-4-1) | 0.3399 | Independent | |
| 39 | Kentucky | (4-6-0) | 0.3268 | Southeastern | |
| 40 | Wake Forest | (6-4-0) | 0.3219 | Atlantic Coast | |
| 41 | Air Force | (5-4-1) | 0.3199 | Independent | |
| 42 | Kansas | (5-5-0) | 0.3111 | Big Seven | |
| 43 | New Mexico State | (8-3-0) | 0.3048 | Border | |
| 44 | New Mexico | (7-3-0) | 0.2992 | Mountain States | |
| 45 | Iowa State | (7-3-0) | 0.2957 | Big Seven | |
| 46 | North Texas | (9-2-0) | 0.2946 | Missouri Valley | |
| 47 | Michigan | (4-5-0) | 0.2937 | Big Ten | |
| 48 | Army | (4-4-1) | 0.2892 | Independent | |
| 49 | South Carolina | (6-4-0) | 0.2863 | Atlantic Coast | |
| 50 | Maryland | (5-5-0) | 0.2832 | Atlantic Coast | |
| 51 | Baylor | (4-6-0) | 0.2775 | Southwest | |
| 52 | North Carolina | (5-5-0) | 0.2774 | Atlantic Coast | |
| 53 | Washington State | (6-4-0) | 0.2609 | Independent | |
| 54 | Colorado | (5-5-0) | 0.2465 | Big Seven | |
| 55 | Oklahoma State | (6-4-0) | 0.2376 | Independent | |
| 56 | Citadel | (8-2-0) | 0.2280 | Southern | |
| 57 | Colorado State | (6-4-0) | 0.2255 | Mountain States | |
| 58 | Tulane | (3-6-1) | 0.2119 | Southeastern | |
| 59 | Duke | (4-6-0) | 0.2043 | Atlantic Coast | |
| 60 | Harvard | (6-3-0) | 0.2028 | Ivy | |
| 61 | Texas Tech | (4-6-0) | 0.1839 | Independent | |
| 62 | Tulsa | (5-5-0) | 0.1744 | Missouri Valley | |
| 63 | Utah | (5-5-0) | 0.1687 | Mountain States | |
| 64 | Virginia Tech | (6-4-0) | 0.1585 | Southern | |
| 65 | Yale | (6-3-0) | 0.1505 | Ivy | |
| 66 | Texas A&M | (3-7-0) | 0.1503 | Southwest | |
| 67 | Nebraska | (4-6-0) | 0.1411 | Big Seven | |
| 68 | Cincinnati | (5-4-1) | 0.1352 | Missouri Valley | |
| 69 | Holy Cross | (6-4-0) | 0.1347 | Independent | |
| 70 | Boston College | (5-4-0) | 0.1288 | Independent | |
| 71 | Dartmouth | (5-3-1) | 0.1273 | Ivy | |
| 72 | Minnesota | (2-7-0) | 0.1216 | Big Ten | |
| 73 | Rice | (1-7-2) | 0.1071 | Southwest | |
| 74 | Florida State | (4-6-0) | 0.0954 | Independent | |
| 75 | Pacific | (5-4-0) | 0.0895 | Independent | |
| 76 | Boston University | (4-5-0) | 0.0875 | Independent | |
| 77 | Stanford | (3-7-0) | 0.0851 | AAWU | |
| 78 | Mississippi State | (2-7-0) | 0.0763 | Southeastern | |
| 79 | California | (2-8-0) | 0.0677 | AAWU | |
| 80 | Wichita State | (5-4-1) | 0.0579 | Missouri Valley | |
| 81 | Oregon State | (3-7-0) | 0.0554 | Independent | |
| 82 | West Virginia | (3-7-0) | 0.0504 | Southern | |
| 83 | Detroit Mercy | (6-4-0) | 0.0449 | Independent | |
| 84 | Cornell | (5-4-0) | 0.0275 | Ivy | |
| 85 | Richmond | (4-5-1) | 0.0241 | Southern | |
| 86 | Houston | (3-7-0) | 0.0217 | Missouri Valley | |
| 87 | Rutgers | (6-3-0) | -0.0119 | Independent | |
| 88 | Utah State | (5-6-0) | -0.0231 | Mountain States | |
| 89 | Arizona | (4-6-0) | -0.0263 | Border | |
| 90 | Princeton | (4-5-0) | -0.0346 | Ivy | |
| 91 | Hardin-Simmons | (3-7-0) | -0.0387 | Border | |
| 92 | San Jose State | (4-6-0) | -0.0416 | Independent | |
| 93 | Marquette | (3-7-0) | -0.0477 | Independent | |
| 94 | William & Mary | (4-6-0) | -0.0511 | Southern | |
| 95 | North Carolina State | (1-9-0) | -0.0585 | Atlantic Coast | |
| 96 | Texas-El Paso | (3-7-0) | -0.1062 | Border | |
| 97 | Brigham Young | (3-7-0) | -0.1270 | Mountain States | |
| 98 | Kansas State | (2-8-0) | -0.1535 | Big Seven | |
| 99 | Colgate | (2-7-0) | -0.1557 | Independent | |
| 100 | Furman | (3-7-0) | -0.1981 | Southern | |
| 101 | Denver | (2-8-0) | -0.2066 | Mountain States | |
| 102 | Xavier | (4-6-0) | -0.2905 | Independent | |
| 103 | Brown | (2-6-1) | -0.3112 | Ivy | |
| 104 | Dayton | (3-7-0) | -0.3185 | Independent | |
| 105 | Idaho | (1-9-0) | -0.3393 | Independent | |
| 106 | Columbia | (2-7-0) | -0.3583 | Ivy | |
| 107 | Virginia | (0-10-0) | -0.4072 | Atlantic Coast | |
| 108 | West Texas A&M | (1-9-0) | -0.4328 | Border | |
| 109 | George Washington | (1-8-0) | -0.4628 | Southern | |
| 110 | Montana | (1-8-0) | -0.5085 | Mountain States | |
| 111 | Villanova | (1-9-0) | -0.5204 | Independent | |
| 112 | Davidson | (1-8-0) | -0.5389 | Southern |
Average Ratings by Conference (1959)
| Rk | Conference | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southeastern | 0.4685 | |
| 2 | Big Ten | 0.4272 | |
| 3 | Southwest | 0.4237 | |
| 4 | AAWU | 0.3603 | |
| 5 | Big Seven | 0.2442 | |
| 6 | Atlantic Coast | 0.1843 | |
| 7 | Independent | 0.1400 | |
| 8 | Missouri Valley | 0.1367 | |
| 9 | Mountain States | 0.0348 | |
| 10 | Ivy | 0.0202 | |
| 11 | Border | 0.0161 | |
| 12 | Southern | -0.0474 |