1964 NCAA University Division football rankings
Two human polls comprised the 1964 National Collegiate Athletic Association football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll.Legend
AP Poll
The final AP Poll was released on November 30, at the end of the 1964 regular season, a month before the bowls. The poll ranked only the top ten teams from 1962 through 1967.The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on December 1.
Alabama received 22 of the 35 first-place votes; Arkansas received seven, Notre Dame four, and Michigan two.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
| 1 | Alabama | SEC | Lost Orange, 17–21 |
| 2 | Arkansas | Southwest | Won Cotton, 10–7 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | Independent | none |
| 4 | Michigan | Big Ten | Won Rose, 34–7 |
| 5 | Texas | Southwest | Won Orange, 21–17 |
| 6 | Nebraska | Big Eight | Lost Cotton, 7–10 |
| 7 | LSU | SEC | Won Sugar, 13–10 |
| 8 | Oregon State | AAWU | Lost Rose, 7–34 |
| 9 | Ohio State | Big Ten | none |
| 10 | USC | AAWU | none |
| 11 | Florida State | Independent | Won Gator, 36–19 |
| 12 | Syracuse | Independent | Lost Sugar, 10–13 |
| 13 | Princeton | Ivy | none |
| 14 | Penn State | Independent | none |
| 14 | Utah | WAC | Won Liberty, 32–6 |
| 16 | Illinois | Big Ten | none |
| 16 | New Mexico | WAC | none |
| 18 | Tulsa | MVC | Won Bluebonnet, 14–7 |
| 18 | Missouri | Big Eight | none |
| 20 | Michigan State | Big Ten | none |
| 20 | Mississippi | SEC | Lost Bluebonnet, 7–14 |
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