| 2010 Varsity Top 20 (Preseason) | |||
| Rank | Team | Final 2009 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Stanford University | 3 | 97 |
| 2 | University of Southern California | 2 | 95 |
| 3 | University of California, Los Angeles | 1 | 92 |
| 4 | University of Hawaii | 4 | 84 |
| 5 | University of California | 5 | 83 |
| 6 | San Jose State University | 6 | 70 |
| 7 | San Diego State University | 8 | 67 |
| 8 | Arizona State University | 10 | 61 |
| 9 | University of California, Irvine | 9 | 60 |
| 10 | University of Michigan | 7 | 56 |
| 11 | Loyola Marymount University | 11 | 53 |
| 12 | California State University, Northridge | 14 | 46 |
| 13 | Hartwick College | 13 | 44 |
| 14 | University of California, Davis | 12 | 37 |
| 15 | University of California, Santa Barbara | 15 | 30 |
| 16 | Long Beach State University | 16 | 26 |
| 17 | California State University, Bakersfield | 19 | 17 |
| 18 | Santa Clara University | 17 | 12 |
| 19 | Indiana University | NR | 9 |
| 20 | Brown University | 20 | 7 |
| RV | University of Maryland | 18 | 6 |
| RV | Princeton University | NR | 4 |
| RV | Marist College | NR | 1 |
| 2010 Division III Poll (Preseason) | |||
| Rank | Team | Final 2009 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges | 2 | 98 |
| 2 | California Lutheran University | 1 | 97 |
| 3 | Occidental College | 3 | 89 |
| 4 | University of Redlands | 4 | 85 |
| 5 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges | 6 | 81 |
| 6 | Whittier College | 8 | 74 |
| 7 | Chapman University | 9 | 70 |
| 8 | Washington & Jefferson College | 10 | 55 |
| 9 | Grove City College | NR | 43 |
| 10 | Macalester College | RV | 39 |
| RV | University of La Verne | RV | 34 |
| RV | Connecticut College | NR | 7 |
| 2010 CWPA Division I Poll (Preseason) | |||
| Rank | Team | Final 2009 Poll | Points |
| 1 (T) | Hartwick College | 2 | 98 |
| 1 (T) | University of Michigan | 1 | 98 |
| 3 | Brown University | 4 | 87 |
| 4 | Indiana University | 5 | 85 |
| 5 | Princeton University | 6 | 82 |
| 6 | University of Maryland | 3 | 74 |
| 7 | Harvard University | 7 | 69 |
| 8 | Bucknell University | 8 | 68 |
| 9 | George Washington University | 9 | 59 |
| 10 | Gannon University | 10 | 45 |
| RV | Mercyhurst College | NR | 11 |
| 2010 CWPA Division III Poll (Preseason) | |||
| Rank | Team | Final 2009 Poll* | Points |
| 1 | Washington & Jefferson College | N/A | 96 |
| 2 | Grove City College | N/A | 95 |
| 3 | Carthage College | N/A | 53 |
| 4 | Macalester College | N/A | 52 |
| 5 | Wheaton College | N/A | 51 |
| RV | Connecticut College | N/A | 37 |
| RV | Penn State University-The Behrend College | N/A | 32 |
| RV | Chatham University | N/A | 18 |
| RV | Utica College | N/A | 16 |
* The Collegiate Water Polo Association did not conduct a poll for CWPA Division III in 2009

