What Are the Different Credit Score Ranges?

What Are the Credit Score Ranges?

A credit score range is the full span of scores a model can produce, divided into categories that describe credit health. The exact range depends on the type of credit score.

Credit score ranges are sometimes called credit score tiers, bands, brackets or levels. Where your score lands gives you a quick read on how lenders may see you, and, generally, a higher score signals lower risk and usually means easier approvals and better rates.

That said, lenders often use their own criteria when evaluating your credit scores. They'll also consider other details, like your income, existing debt and payment history alongside the number itself. So, a high credit score doesn't necessarily guarantee approval or favorable terms.

The credit scoring models often split a score range into smaller groupings to evaluate applicants and manage accounts. FICO and VantageScore publish their own categories, and creditors can also set their own. The categories below are the ones FICO uses. FICO reports that 90% of top lenders use FICO^® Scores.

Poor Credit: 300 to 579

If your score falls in this range, approval can be tough, and many mainstream lenders may turn you down. If you do get approved for credit, expect higher interest rates, lower credit limits and extra fees.

Secured credit cards and credit-builder loans are usually the most realistic credit options with a poor credit score. The fastest way to improve poor credit is to make every payment on time, since payment history is the most influential factor in your FICO^® Score.

Fair Credit: 580 to 669

As you move into fair credit, approval gets easier, especially toward the top of the range, though the best rates will still be out of reach. Your interest rates and credit limits tend to land somewhere in the middle.

You can usually qualify for some unsecured cards and personal loans with fair credit, just at a higher cost, including both interest and fees. One of the fastest ways to reach the good range is to reduce your credit utilization rate by paying down your credit card balances.

Good Credit: 670 to 739

When your score crosses into good credit territory, a lot more opportunities open up. You can qualify for plenty of credit cards and loans at competitive terms, even if they aren't always the lowest rates advertised.

Your credit limits are usually reasonable, and your approval odds are strong. To keep climbing, keep your credit card balances low and avoid opening accounts you don't really need.

Very Good Credit: 740 to 799

Once you hit very good credit, you'll likely get approved for most loans and credit cards, and you may even start qualifying for the best terms that lenders have to offer.

Many of the best rewards credit cards come into play here too. Keeping a long track record of responsible credit use and a healthy mix of accounts can help you climb into the top tier.

Exceptional Credit: 800 to 850

With exceptional credit, you're in line for the best credit offers out there. Keep in mind, though, that there's little real difference between a score in the low 800s and a perfect 850. In this range, a higher score is more about bragging rights than anything else.

From here, it's all about keeping up the habits that got you this far. Continue to monitor your credit regularly and address potential threats as they arise.

Get your FICO^® Score^Θ  for free

No credit card required

Sign up and get instant online access to your FICO^® Score for free.

No impact to your FICO^® Score

Checking your own credit won’t lower your credit scores.

Understand your FICO^® Score

View specific factors that are affecting your score and how to improve it.

Get your FICO^® Score

Credit Score Tiers, Bands and Brackets Explained

Credit score tiers, bands and brackets are all different names for credit score ranges. Each term refers to the same idea of grouping scores into categories that help lenders and consumers understand where a score sits on the scale.

For example, as noted above, a base FICO^® Score of 670 to 739 is considered good, while 740 to 799 is very good. VantageScore uses its own labels, such as prime and superprime, for similar groupings. These categories are useful shorthand, but they remain general guidelines. Lenders can set their own approval standards and may weigh other details alongside your score.

Learn more: Why Do I Have So Many Credit Scores?

Why Credit Score Ranges Vary

You can have many credit scores, and they may fall into different ranges at the same time. It can be confusing, but here's why it happens:

• Different scoring companies: FICO and VantageScore each build their own scoring models, and they don't name the bands the same way. FICO sorts scores into poor, fair, good, very good and exceptional, while VantageScore uses subprime, near prime, prime and superprime.
• Different score versions: Each company refines its models over time, and a newer version can shift where the category cutoffs fall. A score that counts as good on one version might sit right at the edge on another.
• Different scales: Most scores use a 300-to-850 scale, but the industry-specific FICO^® Scores used by some auto lenders and card issuers run from 250 to 900. A different floor and ceiling mean the whole range is built differently.
• Different lender standards: Lenders set their own cutoffs for what they treat as good, fair or poor, so the bands your bank uses may not match the ones FICO or VantageScore publish. Many lenders also weigh things like your income and existing debt alongside your score.
• Different credit reports: This one is less about the ranges and more about the number itself. Because lenders aren't required to report to all the consumer credit bureaus, the same model can produce different scores depending on whether it reads your Experian, TransUnion or Equifax report.

Tip: While specific credit scores vary, they tend to move in the same direction based on how you manage loans, credit cards and other forms of credit, which is reflected on your credit reports. You can check your credit reports from each of the credit bureaus for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Credit Score Ranges by Loan Type

It's technically possible to get approved for a loan or credit card with any credit score—or even no credit at all, for that matter. But depending on the type of credit you want, the credit score range that matters can vary. Here's a look at some of the most common types of loans and the credit scores they use.

Mortgage Loans

Mortgage lenders have long relied on older base FICO versions, often FICO^® Scores 2, 4 and 5, on a scale of 300 to 850. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the companies that guarantee most mortgages in the U.S., now also accept VantageScore 4.0 for the loans they back.

That said, credit score minimums will depend on the type of mortgage loan and the lender you choose. For example, with an FHA loan backed by the Federal Housing Administration, a score of 580 qualifies for the lowest 3.5% down payment, while a score of 500 to 579 calls for at least 10% down.

For conventional loans (those not backed by the government), a 620 credit score minimum is common, but it's no longer a hard rule. Lenders can set their own standards and increasingly weigh your full financial profile rather than a single credit score cutoff point.

A higher score can improve approval odds and lower your rate. Lenders also consider income, debt-to-income ratio, down payment and cash reserves, among other factors.

Learn more: Average Mortgage Rates by Credit Score

Credit Cards

Card issuers often use FICO Bankcard Scores or FICO^® Scores 8 or 9. Bankcard scores are industry-specific and use a range of 250 to 900, while base scores use 300 to 850. There's no universal minimum credit score requirement, but different card types tend to be tailored to different ranges.

For example, secured cards are built for those with poor or limited credit, while the top rewards cards and travel credit cards generally go to applicants with good to exceptional credit. Borrowers with fair credit may qualify for rewards credit cards, but the benefits are usually minimal.

A higher score can mean higher limits, lower interest rates and access to better rewards.

Auto Loans

Auto lenders often use FICO Auto Scores, an industry-specific version with a scale of 250 to 900. There's no single credit score cutoff for an auto loan. In fact, some lenders and even dealers specialize in subprime financing for borrowers with lower scores, though these options are often expensive—and, in some cases, risky.

A higher score generally means a lower interest rate and better terms. Lenders also weigh your income, the vehicle itself and the length of the loan.

Personal Loans

Personal loan lenders may use base FICO^® Scores or VantageScore credit scores on a 300-to-850 scale. Requirements vary widely, and some lenders serve those with fair or even poor credit, usually at higher rates.

As with other products, a higher score improves your approval odds and can lower the cost of borrowing. It can also make it easier to qualify for a personal loan with no origination fee, which can otherwise cost up to 12% of the loan amount.

Tip: Because lenders use different models and standards, treat your score range as a general guide rather than a guarantee of lender approval or denial. Moving into a higher range usually improves your chances of qualifying and can help you secure better rates, terms or credit limits.

How Are Credit Scores Calculated?

Credit scores are calculated from the underlying information in one of your credit reports from Experian, TransUnion or Equifax. Different scoring models weigh that information differently, so the same report can produce different scores. The exact formulas are proprietary, but FICO and VantageScore both share general guidance on what matters most.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

It's easy to fixate on a single number, but every credit score you have depends on the same foundation: the information in your credit reports. Build healthy habits like paying debts on time and keeping balances low, and you'll lift all your scores together and move closer to the top of the range. You can check your FICO^® Score for free from Experian and see the factors helping and hurting it the most.