What Is a Good Credit Score? Score Ranges and What They Mean

Your credit score is a three-digit number that lenders use to decide whether to approve you — and at what interest rate. Understanding what counts as “good” can mean the difference between getting approved or denied, and between paying thousands more or less in interest over your lifetime. Learn more in our guide to what a credit score is.

Credit Score Ranges at a Glance

Credit scores range from 300 to 850. Here’s how the most widely used scoring model (FICO) breaks down the ranges:

Score Range	Category	What It Means
800–850	Exceptional	Best rates available. Rarely denied for anything.
740–799	Very Good	Near-top rates. Almost always approved.
670–739	Good	Approved for most loans at competitive rates.
580–669	Fair	May be approved but with higher rates and fees.
300–579	Poor	Difficulty getting approved. Secured cards or credit-builder loans may help.

In simple terms: 670 is the FICO dividing line between “good” and “fair.” Getting above 670 opens most doors. For VantageScore, the Prime (good) band starts at 661.

What Is Considered a Good Credit Score?

For FICO, a score of 670 or above is generally considered “good.” Under VantageScore, the good (Prime) band is 661–780. But the target depends on what you’re trying to do (a good score never guarantees approval — lenders also weigh your income, your other debts, and the type of loan, and each lender sets its own cutoffs):

• Getting a credit card: Lenders set their own approval criteria, and they consider your income and other debts as well as your score — there is no single score that most cards require.
• Getting a car loan: There is no set minimum score to buy a car, and terms generally improve as your score rises.
• Buying a house: Conventional loans want 620 at minimum. FHA loans go as low as 500 (with 10% down) or 580 (with 3.5% down).
• Renting an apartment: Landlords and property managers may check your credit score, and a low score can mean denial or a higher deposit.

How Much Does Your Credit Score Affect Your Interest Rate?

Here’s a real-world look at how the same loan looks at different credit score ranges. These are approximate rate differences based on typical lender pricing — actual rates vary:

Credit Score	Estimated Mortgage Rate	Monthly Payment (on $300K)	Total Interest (30 years)
760+	~6.5%	$1,896	$382,560
700–759	~6.75%	$1,946	$400,560
660–699	~7.25%	$2,048	$437,280
620–659	~7.75%	$2,151	$474,360

The difference between a 620 and 760 score on a $300,000 mortgage: over $90,000 in total interest. Same house, same loan amount — just a different number on your credit report. This is why working on your credit score before any major borrowing is one of the highest-ROI financial moves you can make.

FICO vs. VantageScore: Which One Matters?

There are two major credit scoring models you’ll encounter:

• FICO Score: Used by 90% of top lenders. When your lender says “we’ll check your credit score,” they mean FICO. Multiple versions exist (FICO 8, FICO 9, FICO 10, industry-specific), but they do not all share one range: base FICO Scores run 300–850, while industry-specific FICO Scores (such as auto and bankcard scores) run 250–900.
• VantageScore: Used by many credit monitoring apps like Credit Karma. Easier to access for free. Uses the same 300–850 range but weighs factors slightly differently — so your VantageScore might differ from your FICO, and scores from the two models tend to move together over time.

VantageScore 3.0 and 4.0 bands are: Subprime 300–600, Near Prime 601–660, Prime (good) 661–780, and Superprime 781–850. You also do not have just one credit score: your score varies by model, by model version, and by which bureau’s report is scored, and lenders choose which model and report to use. When monitoring your score for free, VantageScore is fine for tracking trends. When you’re preparing for a major application (mortgage, car loan), pull your actual FICO score — Experian offers a free monthly FICO score on their site.

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What’s the Average Credit Score in the U.S.?

The average American credit score (FICO) was 713 in 2025. Experian’s published 2025 distribution by band: Poor 14.7%, Fair 14.9%, Good 20.1%, Very Good 27.5%, Exceptional 22.8%. Your score is not a measure of your worth or your income. It’s a measure of your behavior with credit. Plenty of high earners have mediocre scores from a few missed payments. Plenty of people earning modest incomes have excellent scores because they’ve been consistent.

What Your Credit Score Is Actually Based On

Five factors make up your FICO score. Knowing these tells you exactly what to work on first:

• Payment history (35%): Have you paid on time? How much a missed payment costs depends on your starting score and how late it is: Experian illustrates that an excellent-score borrower could drop about 60–80 points after a single 30-day late payment, and about 110–130 points after a 90-day late, while a lower-score borrower drops less. A payment is generally not reported late until it is 30 days past due. This is the most important factor by far — and it’s entirely in your control.
• Credit utilization (30%): How much of your available credit are you using? Keeping balances below 30% of your limits, as a rule of thumb, can help protect your score; above 30% is when utilization can have a more negative impact, and lower ratios typically correlate with better scores.
• Amounts owed, in full: the 30% category also covers installment balances, how many accounts carry a balance, and how much of an installment loan is still owed; utilization is assessed per card as well as in aggregate.
• Length of credit history (15%): How long have you had credit? Older accounts help your score. Length of history counts your oldest account and your average account age. Closing a card removes its limit, which can raise your utilization right away; a closed account in good standing does not instantly vanish from your report or its history calculation.
• Credit mix (10%): Do you have different types of credit — cards, installment loans, etc.? A mix helps slightly, but this isn’t worth opening accounts just to diversify.
• New credit inquiries (10%): Have you recently applied for new credit? A single hard inquiry typically costs only a few points. Multiple applications in a short period can temporarily lower your score, but same-type loan inquiries made within a short rate-shopping window receive protective treatment in the scoring models — do not let inquiry fear stop you comparing loan offers.

How to Check Your Credit Score (Free Options)

• Credit Karma: Free VantageScore from TransUnion and Equifax. Good for ongoing tracking.
• Experian: Free monthly FICO Score 8 directly from the bureau. Best free option for a true FICO score.
• Your bank or credit card: Many now show your credit score in their apps — Chase, Capital One, Discover, and others.
• AnnualCreditReport.com: This is where to get your full credit reports (not scores) — all three bureaus free. Free reports are now available weekly on a permanent basis — pull them regularly to check for errors.

How to Get From “Fair” to “Good” (580–669 → 670+)

If you’re in the 580–669 range and want to reach 670+ — the most valuable single milestone in credit building — here’s the fastest path:

• Pay on time, every time. Set up autopay for at least the minimum on every account. This stops the damage and starts the rebuild immediately.
• Pay down credit card balances. Get utilization below 30%. If you can get below 10%, even better. Paying balances down lowers your utilization, which typically helps your score; balances are rescored as they are reported.
• Don’t close old accounts. Length of history matters. Think before closing old accounts: closing removes the card’s limit, which can raise your utilization, though a closed account in good standing does not instantly vanish from your report.
• Stop applying for new credit. Hard inquiries drop your score temporarily. Be selective about new applications while you rebuild — a single hard inquiry typically costs only a few points, and same-type rate-shopping inquiries in a short window receive protective treatment.
• Check your report for errors. Dispute anything inaccurate at AnnualCreditReport.com. If an error was dragging your score down, fixing it can help — how much depends entirely on what the error was.

How long it takes to move from one band to the next depends on what is holding the score down — there is no standard timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 700 a good credit score?

Yes. 700 is in the Good range for FICO (670–739) and in VantageScore’s Prime (good) band (661–780).

Is 750 a good credit score?

750 is FICO Very Good (740–799). Under VantageScore, 750 sits in the Prime (good) band (661–780), and Superprime starts at 781.

What credit score do I need to buy a house?

Minimum 620 for a conventional loan. FHA goes as low as 580 (with 3.5% down). The difference between 620 and 760 on a $300K mortgage is over $90,000 in total interest.

How quickly can I raise my credit score?

It depends on what’s holding it down. If it’s high utilization, paying down balances typically helps, and balances are rescored as they are reported. If it’s missed payments, those stay on your report for 7 years — but their impact fades over time as you add positive history. If it’s errors, a dispute is investigated by the bureau — the CFPB frames that investigation period as 30 days, extendable in defined circumstances.

Paying down credit card balances is one of the fastest ways to raise your score. Our debt payoff calculator can help you map out exactly how long it will take to pay down your balances.

Does checking my credit score lower it?

No — checking your own score is a “soft inquiry” and has zero impact. Only “hard inquiries” from lenders processing credit applications affect your score. Check your score as often as you want.

Related reading: What Is Credit Utilization and How It Affects Your Score | How to Build Credit from Scratch | What Is APR? Why Your Score Determines Your Rate

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