What Is a Good Credit Score? FICO Ranges and How Lenders Use Them

By CreditMeadow Editorial Team · Updated October 16, 2026

What is a good credit score? For a FICO Score, the short answer is 670 or higher. FICO, the company behind the FICO Score, says a good score is generally considered to be 670 or above, scores of 740 and up are very good, and 800 or more is exceptional. The longer answer is that "good" depends on which score a lender pulls and what that lender requires.

This guide covers the FICO Score ranges, how lenders use them, and why the number you see may not match the one a lender sees.

FICO Score ranges at a glance

Base FICO Scores run from 300 to 850 and are grouped into five ranges. FICO describes each range by comparing it with the scores of U.S. consumers overall:

The labels are FICO's way of interpreting risk, not rules that lenders must follow. The idea behind them is simple: the higher your score, the lower the risk a lender sees and the more likely creditors are to lend to you.

Notice that "good" starts near the middle of the scale. A score in the good range is not a top score, but FICO describes that range as near or slightly above the average for U.S. consumers.

What lenders consider a good credit score

There is no single minimum credit score that every lender requires. According to FICO, each lender sets its own criteria based on its risk tolerance, the type of loan and other factors such as your income, your debt and your credit history. Two lenders can look at the same score and reach different decisions.

What a higher score tends to change is the price and size of the credit you are offered. Lenders use credit scores to decide whether to approve an application, what interest rate to offer and how much credit to extend. FICO's general guide to how lenders read scores:

• Lower scores may limit your loan options or come with higher interest rates.
• Good to very good scores generally qualify for competitive rates.
• Exceptional scores signal low risk and can open up the best terms available.

Loans and cards are not the only place a score shows up. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says companies also use credit scores for tenant screening and insurance, and to set the interest rate and credit limit you receive.

Why your score depends on where you look

You do not have just one credit score. The CFPB says each score depends on the data used to calculate it, and it can differ by scoring model, by the source of the data and even by the day it was calculated. Three things drive most of the differences.

Different scoring models and versions

FICO has updated its score several times, and each lender decides if and when to move to a newer version, so lenders don't all use the same one. FICO Score 8 is the most widely used version. There are also industry-specific versions for auto loans and credit cards, and they range from 250 to 900 rather than 300 to 850. A number on one of those scales doesn't line up exactly with the same number on a base FICO Score.

Other companies make credit scores too. The CFPB notes that many scores range from 300 to 850, but different companies use different ranges. It also points out that a credit card score could differ from a home loan score, and any score you buy online could differ from both.

Different credit reports

Equifax, Experian and TransUnion each keep their own report on you, and each bureau may get its information from different sources, so your scores can differ across bureaus. FICO points out that not all lenders report to all three bureaus, that a lender may report to one bureau earlier than another, and that an error or a hard inquiry may show up on only one report. Any of these can make your scores differ from bureau to bureau.

Different days

Your credit report changes as lenders send updates, so your score changes too. FICO says your score from a month ago is probably not the score a lender would get today. A new statement balance, a missed payment or a recent hard inquiry can all move it.

Example: which score a mortgage lender may use

Mortgage applications show the "which score" question clearly. FICO says mortgage lenders often use a "tri-merge" report that includes all three bureaus and typically select the middle of the three scores. On a joint application, they typically use the lower of the two applicants' middle scores.

Suppose two people apply for a mortgage together and their scores look like this (hypothetical numbers):

Sorted from low to high, Applicant 1's scores are 698, 712 and 725, so the middle score is 712. Applicant 2's are 748, 760 and 771, so the middle score is 760. The lower of the two middle scores is 712, so a lender using this approach would work with 712, which sits in FICO's "good" range, even though Applicant 2's middle score is in the "very good" range.

The same numbers show two more things. Applicant 1's highest and lowest scores are 27 points apart (725 − 698), from the same person's credit history. And 712 is 28 points short of 740, where FICO's "very good" range begins.

When you don't have a FICO Score at all

If a lender or a score service can't produce a score for you, your credit file may not meet FICO's minimum requirements. FICO says a credit report needs at least one account that has been open for six months or more and at least one account reported to the bureau within the past six months, and it must not indicate that you are deceased. A single account can meet both account requirements.

How to find out which range you're in

1. Check your credit reports first. Your score is only as accurate as the reports behind it. The FTC says you can check your report from each nationwide bureau once a week for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.
2. Use a score you already have access to. The CFPB says many credit card companies and other lenders show customers a credit score on their monthly statement or online account, and nonprofit credit and housing counselors can often provide a free report and score.
3. Note which score it is. Write down the model, the version if it is shown, and which bureau's report it is based on. Scores from different models or different bureaus are different numbers.
4. Compare like with like. Track the same score from the same source over time rather than comparing numbers from different services. The CFPB notes it is normal to see scores that are slightly different.
5. Fix the report, not the score. If something on a report is wrong, see our guide on how to dispute a credit report error.

Moving from one range to the next

A FICO Score is calculated from your credit report, so the way to a higher range runs through the same factors. Payment history makes up 35% of a FICO Score and amounts owed 30%, which is why paying on time and keeping card balances low relative to your limits do most of the work. Our guide to how your credit score is calculated walks through all five factors.

Your score won't sit still while you work on it. FICO notes that the information in your credit reports is continually changing, which means your FICO Score is updating frequently too.