| Rank | Team | Comments | Prior | |
| 1 |  | North Carolina | It was not the easiest route for UNC to end 2012 on top. This year they will start on top. | |
| 2 |  | Penn State | Maya Hayes is all this team needs to win the Big Ten, but they have a lot more to work with. | |
| 3 |  | Florida State | Six starters are back from a consistent squad that went to the College Cup and lost to Penn State in OT. | |
| 4 |  | Stanford | It is tough to pick on Stanford, but they failed to convert quality chances against the best of the best in 2012. | |
| 5 |  | Duke | Duke fell in the Elite Eight last season and will look to win a couple more tournament games this time around. | |
| 6 |  | UCLA | There are some offensive questions at UCLA now that Zakiya Bywaters is gone, but there are options. | |
| 7 |  | Virginia | Virginia is always going to be towards the top of the ACC and a threat to make a run in the NCAA Tournament. | |
| 8 |  | Notre Dame | This is going to be an interesting year for Notre Dame as they move into the absolutely loaded ACC. | |
| 9 |  | Marquette | With Taylor Madigan and Maegan Kelly up front and Emily Jacobson in the back, MU should win the Big East. | |
| 10 |  | Florida | The balanced Florida attack should again be very fun to watch, although key pieces need replaced. | |
| 11 |  | BYU | Living up to last season is going to be tough, yet Michele Murphy will lead them back to the tournament. | |
| 12 |  | Maryland | A spotty defense led to an inconsistent season for Maryland, but the talent is there for an ACC title. | |
| 13 |  | Michigan | Michigan did extremely well in 2012 with a very young squad. A year older and wiser, the expectations are higher. | |
| 14 |  | Baylor | Baylor needs a new finisher or two, but nobody does a better job of outshooting their opponents. | |
| 15 |  | Georgetown | Behind midfielder Daphne Corboz and keeper Emma Newins, Georgetown will compete for a Big East title. | |
| 16 |  | Boston College | If Boston College wants to make a serious run in the NCAA Tournament, the defense better step up. | |
| 17 |  | Santa Clara | Julie Johnston is one of the best players in the country and this is an absolutely loaded squad in 2013. | |
| 18 |  | Texas A&M | The SEC will be ready for the Aggies this year, but that does not mean they can stop them. | |
| 19 |  | Wake Forest | Wake Forest will have no problem finding the back of the net with Katie Stengel and Rachel Nuzzolese. | |
| 20 |  | California | Ifeoma Onumonu is coming off of a superb freshman season and will be California's leader up top in 2013. | |
| 21 |  | Portland | Portland took a young team to the program's 20th NCAA Tournament. That group is experienced and ready for more. | |
| 22 |  | Texas Tech | With a ton of momentum behind them, Texas Tech will have another great season behind sophomore Janine Beckie. | |
| 23 |  | UCF | It is a season of change for UCF as they head to the AAC and work with a new coach. The talent is the same though. | |
| 24 |  | Tennessee | The Lady Vols suprised everybody last season thanks to a stout defense. The expectations are the same now. | |
| 25 |  | Pepperdine | The young Waves reached the NCAA Tournament in 2012. With that experience, they will aim higher in 2013. | |
Women's Soccer 2013 Preseason Top 25 Rankings
Tue, 07/23/2013
