Credit Score Ranges: What Good, Great, and Excellent Mean
Quick answer
Credit scores range from 300–850. In 2026, 670+ is "good," 740+ is "very good," 800+ is "excellent." These tiers determine which loans you qualify for and at what interest rate. The difference between 650 and 750 is often 2–3% in interest rates, costing you $50,000–$150,000 over a 30-year mortgage. Understanding where you fall and what's realistically achievable helps you prioritize credit-building efforts.
The Credit Score Scale
| Range | Rating | Typical Approval | Typical APR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300–579 | Poor | Very limited; mostly subprime | 18–29% |
| 580–669 | Fair | Possible with conditions | 12–18% |
| 670–739 | Good | Likely approved | 8–12% |
| 740–799 | Very Good | Approved at good rates | 5–8% |
| 800–850 | Excellent | Approved at best rates | 2–5% |
Read the APRs in this article as spreads, not as quotes. The durable fact is the gap between tiers — roughly 1.5 to 2 percentage points between fair and excellent on a mortgage, and 10 points or more on a credit card. The absolute level moves with the market every week, so check a current rate table before you budget against any specific number here.
Score Ranges Explained
300–579: Poor
What it means: You have significant credit problems: late payments, high utilization, collections, or bankruptcy.
Approval odds:
- Credit card: ~5% chance (only subprime cards)
- Auto loan: ~10% chance (high interest, larger down payment required)
- Mortgage: very limited. FHA will insure a loan with a score as low as 500 — but only with 10% down, and most lenders add overlays well above the FHA floor
- Personal loan: ~20% chance (predatory lenders only)
Interest rates:
- Credit card: 20–29% APR
- Auto loan: 15–25% APR
- Personal loan: 25–36% APR (if approved at all)
Reality: At 300–579, you're in financial distress. Lenders see you as high-risk and charge accordingly. A $10,000 car loan at 20% costs $2,000 more in interest than at 7%.
How to improve: Focus on:
- Payment history (stop missing payments)
- Utilization (pay down credit cards)
- Dispute errors (if applicable) Target: Get to 650+ in 12–24 months.
580–669: Fair
What it means: You have some credit issues (late payments, high utilization) but are starting to recover or have thin credit history.
Approval odds:
- Credit card: ~40% chance (subprime, store cards)
- Auto loan: ~50% chance (possible, but higher rates)
- Mortgage: ~30% chance. At 580 and above, FHA requires only 3.5% down — the 10% requirement applies between 500 and 579 — but every FHA loan carries an upfront and an annual mortgage insurance premium
- Personal loan: ~40% chance (credit unions, peer-to-peer)
Interest rates:
- Credit card: 15–21% APR
- Auto loan: 10–17% APR
- Mortgage (FHA): 5–7% APR (but with mortgage insurance premium, effective rate higher)
- Personal loan: 15–24% APR
Reality: You're borderline. Some lenders will work with you, others won't. You'll pay more in interest. A $200,000 mortgage at 6% (fair score) vs. 4.5% (excellent score) costs you $80,000 more in interest over 30 years.
How to improve: Focus on:
- Payment history (6–12 months of on-time payments)
- Utilization (get below 30%) Target: Get to 700+ in 6–18 months.
Utilization is the fastest lever in the fair band because, unlike payment history, it resets the moment the balance is reported — there is no waiting period for the improvement to register. Order your balances by utilization percentage rather than by APR when the goal is a score jump before a loan application, and use the debt payoff planner to see what the same monthly payment does under avalanche versus snowball once the score work is done.
670–739: Good
What it means: You're a reasonable credit risk. You likely have a mix of credit, on-time payments, and reasonable utilization.
Approval odds:
- Credit card: ~85% chance (standard cards with moderate rewards)
- Auto loan: ~85% chance (standard rates available)
- Mortgage: ~75% chance (Conventional loans now available, not just FHA)
- Personal loan: ~80% chance (banks, credit unions welcome)
Interest rates:
- Credit card: 12–18% APR
- Auto loan: 5–9% APR
- Mortgage: 5.5–6.5% APR (conventional, not FHA)
- Personal loan: 8–14% APR
Reality: This is the "good" tier. Most people aim here. You'll get approved for most credit, but you're not getting premium rates.
Example: A $300,000 mortgage at 6% costs $648,712 total. At 4.5% (excellent score), it costs $553,344. That's $95,000 difference.
How to improve: Focus on:
- Age of accounts (they'll naturally age)
- Keep utilization <10%
- Maintain perfect payment history Target: Get to 750+ in 12–36 months.
740–799: Very Good
What it means: You're a prime borrower with excellent credit habits.
Approval odds:
- Credit card: ~95% chance (premium cards with excellent rewards)
- Auto loan: ~95% chance (best rates available)
- Mortgage: ~90% chance (conventional, best rates)
- Personal loan: ~90% chance (best terms)
Interest rates:
- Credit card: 8–14% APR
- Auto loan: 3–6% APR
- Mortgage: 4.5–5.5% APR
- Personal loan: 6–10% APR
Reality: At 740+, you're in the preferred borrower category. Lenders compete for your business. You get the best rates and terms available.
How to improve: Focus on:
- Keep utilization <5%
- Maintain perfect payment history indefinitely Target: Get to 800+ in 24–60 months.
800–850: Excellent
What it means: You're a pristine credit risk with excellent history and disciplined habits.
Approval odds:
- All credit types: ~98% chance
- Loan amounts: Often higher limits approved
Interest rates:
- Credit card: 6–12% APR (best-in-class)
- Auto loan: 2–4% APR (lowest available)
- Mortgage: 4.0–4.8% APR (bottom tier)
- Personal loan: 5–8% APR (best available)
Reality: At 800+, you're maximizing your borrowing power. The interest rates you get are the best lenders offer. $0.5–1% lower APR than "very good" borrowers might not sound like much, but on big loans it's substantial.
Example:
- 800+ score: $300,000 mortgage at 4.0% = $549,096 total
- 740 score: $300,000 mortgage at 5.5% = $625,572 total
- Difference: $76,476
What Your Score Qualifies You For
Credit Cards
| Score | Cards Available | APR | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| <600 | Subprime, secured cards | 20–29% | None or minimal |
| 600–670 | Subprime, store cards | 15–21% | Limited (1% cash back) |
| 670–740 | Standard cards | 12–18% | Good (2–5% cash back) |
| 740–799 | Preferred cards | 8–14% | Excellent (5–7% cash back) |
| 800+ | Premium cards | 6–12% | Elite (travel, 5%+ categories) |
Example: You want a 2% cash back card.
- 650 score: Approved for card with 20% APR, 0.5% cash back
- 750 score: Approved for card with 12% APR, 2% cash back
- 800 score: Approved for card with 8% APR, 5% cash back
Auto Loans
| Score | Approval | APR | Down Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| <600 | 20–30% chance | 15–25% | 20–30% |
| 600–670 | 50–60% chance | 10–15% | 15–20% |
| 670–740 | 85–90% chance | 5–9% | 10% or less |
| 740–799 | 95%+ chance | 3–6% | 5% or less |
| 800+ | 98%+ chance | 2–4% | Negotiable |
Cost example: $25,000 car over 60 months
| Score | APR | Monthly Payment | Total Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 | 18% | $619 | $12,140 |
| 700 | 8% | $507 | $5,420 |
| 750 | 5% | $471 | $3,260 |
| 800 | 3% | $451 | $1,060 |
| Difference (600 vs 800) | — | $168/month | $11,080 |
Over 5 years, an excellent credit score saves you $11,080 on a $25,000 car.
Mortgages
| Score | Approval Odds | APR | Down Payment | PMI Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <620 | 0% (conventional) | — | — | — |
| 620–679 | 60% | 5.5–7% | 10–20% | Yes |
| 680–739 | 80% | 5–6% | 10% | Yes |
| 740–799 | 90% | 4.5–5.5% | 5–10% | Maybe |
| 800+ | 95% | 4–5% | <5% | No |
Cost example: $300,000 mortgage over 30 years
| Score | APR | Monthly Payment | Total Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 620 | 6.5% | $1,896 | $382,560 |
| 700 | 5.5% | $1,703 | $312,980 |
| 750 | 4.5% | $1,520 | $247,138 |
| 800 | 4.0% | $1,432 | $215,608 |
| Difference (620 vs 800) | — | $464/month | $166,952 |
Over 30 years, an excellent credit score saves you $166,952 on a $300,000 mortgage. And $5,568/year just in monthly payment difference.
That gap is the strongest argument for waiting. A buyer who is three months of on-time payments and one balance transfer away from the next tier is often better off delaying a purchase by a quarter than locking a bottom-tier rate for thirty years — though only if prices and rates hold while they wait, which is the trade the rent vs buy calculator actually prices. If you already hold a high-rate mortgage taken out at a lower score, the mortgage payoff calculator shows what extra principal does to the interest total in the meantime — and refinancing later is what converts a score improvement into cash.
Where Most Americans Fall
Correction (31 July 2026): an earlier version of this page carried a five-row table of score-range population shares attributed to "Federal Reserve and Fair Isaac data (2025)" and a "median FICO score in 2026: 710." Neither is a published figure — the Federal Reserve does not publish a credit score distribution, and FICO reports a mean, not a median. The table and the 710 figure have been removed and replaced with FICO's own published numbers below. If you quoted either elsewhere, please correct it.
According to FICO's Credit Insights report (Spring 2026 edition, published 24 March 2026):
- The average U.S. FICO Score is 714, down 2 points over the prior year — driven mainly by resumed student loan delinquency reporting and rising mortgage delinquencies.
- 48.1% of consumers score 750 or higher — a record share.
Those two facts together describe a widening split rather than a bell curve: the top of the distribution keeps growing while the average falls, because the bottom is falling faster.
Realistic Targets by Age
| Age | Reasonable Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 18–25 (new credit) | 650–700 | Building history; some mistakes expected |
| 25–35 (early career) | 700–750 | Established accounts; buying first home likely |
| 35–50 (peak earning) | 750–800 | Multiple accounts aged; refinancing opportunities |
| 50–65 (pre-retirement) | 800+ | Lowest rates matter most; maxing wealth |
| 65+ (retirement) | 750+ | Less borrowing needed; credit still valuable |
Is Excellent (800+) Realistic for You?
Requirements for 800+:
- 10+ years of credit history (or accounts naturally age)
- Perfect payment history (0 late payments, ever)
- Low utilization (<5% average)
- Multiple account types (credit cards, mortgage, auto, etc.)
- No collections, charge-offs, or delinquencies
Realistic timeline:
- Starting from 600: 5–7 years to 800
- Starting from 700: 3–5 years to 800
- Starting from 750: 1–2 years to 800
For most people: Aiming for 750+ is more realistic than 800+. The jump from 750 to 800 requires perfection. The jump from 700 to 750 requires discipline.
Do You Actually Need 800+?
At 740+, you're in premium territory. The practical difference between 740 and 800:
- Credit card APR: 9% vs. 7% (2% difference) = minimal impact on revolving debt
- Auto loan: 4.5% vs. 3.5% (1% difference) = saves ~$500–1,000 over loan
- Mortgage: 5% vs. 4% (1% difference) = saves ~$30,000 over 30 years
Most people maximize benefit at 740+. Going from 740 to 800 saves money but requires significant effort and time.
Your Credit Score Target Checklist
- Find your current score (annualcreditreport.com)
- Determine your starting range (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)
- Calculate realistic 6-month and 12-month targets
- Identify what improves your range most (payment history, utilization, etc.)
- Focus on actions in order of impact
- Recheck score every 3–6 months
- Celebrate milestones (600 → 650, 700 → 750, etc.)
FAQ
Why is my score different on every app I check?
Because there is no single score. FICO alone maintains many versions, and lenders use industry-specific ones — a FICO Auto Score or Bankcard Score runs on a 250–900 scale, not 300–850. Most free monitoring apps show a VantageScore, while most mortgage underwriting still runs on older FICO versions pulled from all three bureaus. A 30- to 40-point gap between your free app and what the lender sees is normal, not an error. For a mortgage, the number that decides your rate is the middle of your three bureau scores — and on a joint application, the lower of the two applicants' middle scores.
Does checking my own credit score lower it?
No. Checking your own report or score is a soft inquiry and has no scoring effect at all, however often you do it. Applying for credit creates a hard inquiry, which typically costs a handful of points, stays on your report for two years, and affects FICO scoring for only the first twelve months. Rate shopping is protected: multiple mortgage, auto or student loan inquiries inside a focused shopping window count as a single inquiry, so comparing five lenders in one fortnight is not five hits.
How long does a late payment or a collection stay on my report?
Most negative information stays seven years under the Fair Credit Reporting Act — late payments, charge-offs and collections run seven years from the original delinquency date, not from the date you paid. Chapter 7 bankruptcy stays ten years; Chapter 13 stays seven. Hard inquiries drop off after two. Two exceptions worth knowing: the three national bureaus no longer report paid medical collections at all, and since 2023 they have not reported unpaid medical collections under $500.
I have no credit history at all. Where do I actually start?
With a secured card or a credit-builder loan, and patience: a FICO score requires at least six months of history and at least one account reported to that bureau within the last six months. VantageScore can generate a number sooner, which is why a free app may show a score when a lender says you are "unscoreable". Being added as an authorized user on an established, low-utilization account is the fastest legitimate shortcut, because the account's age and payment history can report on your file too. Expect roughly 12 to 18 months from a standing start to a score in the high 600s.
Sources
- FICO. (2026). FICO Score Credit Insights, Spring 2026 Edition. https://www.fico.com/en/latest-thinking/market-research/fico-score-credit-insights-spring-2026-edition
- Experian. What Are the Different Credit Score Ranges? https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/infographic-what-are-the-different-scoring-ranges/
- myFICO (Fair Isaac Corporation). How are FICO Scores Calculated? https://www.myfico.com/credit-education/whats-in-your-credit-score
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What is a credit score? https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-credit-score-en-315/
- Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. §1681c — the seven-year and ten-year reporting periods for adverse information.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 — FHA minimum decision credit scores and the 3.5% / 10% minimum down payment thresholds.