1956 NCAA University Division football rankings
Two human polls comprised the 1956 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 December 3, at the end of the 1956 regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP would not release a post-bowl season final poll regularly until 1968.Final Coaches' Poll
The final UP Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on December 4.
Oklahoma received 26 of the 35 first-place votes; Tennessee received five, Iowa three, and Miami one.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
| 1 | Oklahoma | Big Seven | none |
| 2 | Tennessee | SEC | Lost Sugar, 7–13 |
| 3 | Iowa | Big Ten | Won Rose, 35–19 |
| 4 | Georgia Tech | SEC | Won Gator, 21–14 |
| 5 | Texas A&M | Southwest | none |
| 6 | Miami | Independent | none |
| 7 | Michigan | Big Ten | none |
| 8 | Syracuse | Independent | Lost Cotton, 27–28 |
| 9 | Minnesota | Big Ten | none |
| 10 | Michigan State | Big Ten | none |
| 11 | Baylor | Southwest | Lost Sugar, 13–7 |
| 12 | Pittsburgh | Independent | Lost Gator, 14–21 |
| 13 | Oregon State | Pacific Coast | Lost Rose, 19–35 |
| 14 | TCU | Southwest | Won Cotton, 28–27 |
| 15 | USC | Pacific Coast | none |
| 16 | Wyoming | Skyline | none |
| 17 | Yale | Ivy | none |
| 18 | Colorado | Big Seven | Won Orange, 27–21 |
| 19 | Navy | Independent | none |
| 20 | Duke | ACC | none |
