What Is a Good Credit Score? Ranges, Tiers, and What Each Score Gets You

The FICO Score Ranges

FICO Score 8 — the model most lenders use — runs from 300 to 850. Here is what each band means in practice:

Score	Tier	% of Americans	What it means
800–850	Exceptional	23%	Best possible rates; premium card approvals; instant decisions
740–799	Very Good	25%	Near-best rates; very strong approval odds on all products
670–739	Good	21%	Average rates; most applications approved
580–669	Fair	17%	Higher rates; limited card options; some denials
300–579	Poor	14%	Secured cards, high-APR loans; most applications denied

What Each Score Gets You — By Product Type

Mortgage

Mortgage lenders are especially score-sensitive because the loan amounts are large. The differences in rate between tiers are significant:

760+: Best available rates. On a $300,000 30-year mortgage, this could mean a 0.5–1.0% lower rate than someone at 660, saving $30,000–$60,000 over the life of the loan.
620–759: Conventional mortgages available; rate depends on exact score and LTV. FHA loans available with as little as 3.5% down.
580–619: FHA loans available with 10% down (3.5% if 580+). Conventional loans very difficult.
Below 580: Most lenders will decline. VA loans have no official minimum but lenders typically require 580–620.

Auto Loan

Score Range	Avg New Car APR	Avg Used Car APR
781–850	~5.0%	~6.9%
661–780	~6.4%	~9.5%
601–660	~9.6%	~14.1%
501–600	~13.0%	~18.9%
300–500	~15.8%	~21.4%

Credit Cards

750+: Access to top rewards cards (travel, cashback), 0% intro APR offers, high limits
670–749: Good rewards cards, reasonable limits, moderate APR
580–669: Subprime cards; high APRs (25–30%); low limits ($300–$1,000)
Below 580: Secured cards only — you deposit your own money as collateral

VantageScore vs. FICO — Same Scale, Different Cutoffs

VantageScore 3.0 and 4.0 also use the 300–850 scale but call "good" 661+ (vs. FICO's 670+). The practical difference is small, but be aware that free score services often show you VantageScore while lenders typically pull FICO. Read our full FICO vs. VantageScore comparison for details.

The Single Most Important Benchmark: 740

If you had to pick one score target that unlocks the best real-world outcomes across the most products, it is 740. Above that line, you access near-best rates on mortgages, auto loans, and personal loans. Below it, you start paying meaningfully more in interest over time. Use our credit score improvement roadmap to build a plan to reach 740+.

How to Check Your Score for Free

You can check your FICO or VantageScore for free through: your credit card issuer (many offer free monthly FICO updates), Experian's free membership, Credit Karma (VantageScore), or your bank's app. None of these checks hurt your score — they are all soft inquiries.