| 1 | Yvonne van Gennip (Senior) | NED | 4:11.94 | WR | - |
| 2 | Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich (Senior) | GDR | 4:12.09 | NR | +0.150 |
| 3 | Gabi Zange (Senior) | GDR | 4:16.92 | | +4.980 |
| 4 | Karin Kania-Enke (Senior) | GDR | 4:18.80 | | +6.860 |
| 5 | Erwina Rys-Ferens (Senior) | POL | 4:22.59 | NR | +10.650 |
| 6 | Svetlana Sjurova-Bojko (Neo) | URS | 4:22.90 | SB | +10.960 |
| 7 | Seiko Hashimoto (Neo) | JPN | 4:23.29 | NR | +11.350 |
| Jelena Lapuga (Senior) | URS | 4:23.29 | SB | +11.350 |
| 9 | Jelena Tumanova (Neo) | URS | 4:24.07 | SB | +12.130 |
| 10 | Jasmin Krohn (Neo) | SWE | 4:25.06 | NR | +13.120 |
| 11 | Janet Goldman (Neo) | USA | 4:25.26 | NR | +13.320 |
| 12 | Anja Mischke (Neo) | FRG | 4:26.30 | | +14.360 |
| 13 | Elena Belci-Dal Farra (Senior) | ITA | 4:27.21 | | +15.270 |
| 14 | Emese Nemeth-Hunyady (Neo) | AUT | 4:27.56 | NR | +15.620 |
| 15 | Ariane Loignon (Neo) | CAN | 4:28.55 | | +16.610 |
| 16 | Marieke Stam (Senior) | NED | 4:28.92 | SB | +16.980 |
| 17 | Chun-Ok Han (Neo) | PRK | 4:29.16 | NR | +17.220 |
| 18 | Natsue Seki (Neo) | JPN | 4:29.77 | PB | +17.830 |
| 19 | Mary Docter (Senior) | USA | 4:29.93 | | +17.990 |
| 20 | Leslie Bader (Senior) | USA | 4:30.09 | SB | +18.150 |
| 21 | Qing Zhang (Neo) | CHN | 4:30.19 | NR | +18.250 |
| 22 | Yeong-Ok Kim (Neo) | KOR | 4:30.60 | NR | +18.660 |
| 23 | Hwa-Seon Song (Neo) | PRK | 4:31.05 | PB | +19.110 |
| 24 | Marie-France van Helden-Vives (Senior) | FRA | 4:32.34 | NR | +20.400 |
| 25 | Minna Nystedt (Neo) | NOR | 4:35.35 | SB | +23.410 |
| 26 | Chantal Côté (Senior) | CAN | 4:35.74 | | +23.800 |
| 27 | Stéphanie Dumont (Neo) | FRA | 4:38.03 | PB | +26.090 |
| 28 | Hye-Sook Choi (B2) | KOR | 4:42.26 | NRJ | +30.320 |
| DNS | Natalie Grenier (Senior) | CAN | DNS | | - |
| DQ | Ingrid Paul (Neo) | NED | DQ | | - |