Credit scores range between 300 to 850 on most credit scoring models—like FICO and VantageScore. These models use many different factors to calculate your credit score.
FICO and VantageScore sort credit scores into ranges, such as "Good," "Fair," and "Poor." Each model classifies its scores in slightly different ways.
The ranges in the table below reflect both models. Find your credit score in the lists below to see where you stand.
Credit scores in this range are considered excellent. From a simple credit check, any lender will be able to tell that you’re a reliable borrower. You’re eligible for almost all loans and credit cards with the best terms and lowest interest rates on any new account you open—not to mention the bragging rights you’ve earned for being a top scorer. Learn more about excellent credit scores.
This range marks good credit scores. You’ll be able to get just about any type of credit you want, including unsecured credit cards, mortgages, car loans, and personal loans. However, you might get turned away from the most exclusive credit offers, such as credit cards with top-tier rewards and loans with the lowest interest rates available. Learn more about good credit scores.
Scores in this range are considered fair. You’ll be able to get some loans and credit cards, but your options will be more limited while you’re outside of the “good” range. You’ll also probably need to pay higher interest rates and fees, and lenders may be unwilling to give you a high credit limit or large loan. Learn more about fair credit scores.
Having a credit score in this range will make it difficult or impossible to open new credit accounts. You can get secured credit cards and certain government-back loans (like FHA loans), but your other options will come with high interest rates. You may have difficulty getting a new apartment, and you may need to pay a deposit for utilities.
If your credit score is this low, you won’t be eligible for any loans or credit cards except for those dedicated to people with bad credit, which almost always come with high interest rates and fees. Your low credit score may make it hard to get an apartment or even a job, and you may end up paying more for products like utilities and insurance. Learn more about bad credit scores.
If you have a good or excellent score, you'll have no trouble getting new credit cards and loans. However, if you have a bad credit score (one in the fair or poor range), you might have trouble qualifying for some types of credit, and you'll probably have to pay a higher interest rate.
From a lending perspective, a good credit score begins somewhere in the low 700s. There's no universal credit score that lenders agree is good because each company has its own standards. But generally speaking, with a score in the low-to-mid 700s, you'll get access to most types of loans and credit at decent interest rates—which is the main benefit of having good credit.
From a technical, credit-modeling perspective, FICO and VantageScore label scores within a certain range as "Good." Those ranges are:
When it comes to judging what a good credit score is, there's obviously a discrepancy between the lender's perspective (low 700s) and the credit-modeling perspective (high 600s). So which one should you focus on?
You should focus on impressing lenders by having a credit score in the 700s. However, it would be even better to have a "Very Good" or "Excellent" credit score. Those scores begin in the high 700s and range all the way to 850—that's when you get access to the cheapest loans and credit cards with the best rewards and benefits.
From a lending perspective, a fair credit score begins in the high 500s. With a fair credit score, you'll get access to loans and credit, but at higher interest rates. Scores in this range usually indicate that you either have negative marks on your credit report from missed payments or you're early in your credit journey and are just beginning to build credit.
Either way, lenders assess people with fair credit scores as riskier and provide less favorable terms on loans and credit as a result.
From a technical, credit-modeling perspective FICO and VantageScore label scores within a certain range as "Fair." Those ranges are:
From a lending perspective, a bad credit score is one in the low-to-mid 500s or lower. With scores that low, you may not be eligible for loans or credit, and if you are, you'll get extremely unfavorable terms and high interest rates.
From a technical perspective FICO and VantageScore label scores within certain ranges as "Poor" or "Very Poor." Those ranges are:
Your credit score is a number that defines how risky it is for companies to provide you with loans or credit.
Note that your credit score has a different meaning depending on whether it's a VantageScore credit score or a FICO score. It's important to know that you have multiple credit scores, not just a FICO score (as many people assume). If you recently ran a credit score check with major providers like CreditKarma, CreditSesame, or CreditWise, you received a VantageScore credit score.
In terms of numbers, there's no difference between the main consumer-facing FICO and VantageScore credit score ranges—both go from 300 to 850. (FICO does provide some alternative credit scores that feature different scales, such as industry-specific auto credit scores for car loan lenders, but this isn't something you need to worry about as a consumer.)
Although FICO and VantageScore use the same scale, they divide up their ranges differently and use different language to describe their score classifications.
The table below shows the credit ranges for FICO and VantageScore, and the language they use to describe them:
| FICO/VantageScore Rating | FICO Score Range | VantageScore Range |
|---|---|---|
| Exceptional/Excellent | 800–850 | 781–850 |
| Very Good/Good | 740–799 | 661–780 |
| Good/Fair | 670–739 | 601–660 |
| Fair/Poor | 580–669 | 500–600 |
| Poor/Very Poor | 300–579 | 300–499 |
In addition to those cosmetic differences, the way in which FICO and VantageScore calculate your credit score is different, because they're two different companies with two different credit-scoring models. However, even those differences are fairly minor.
The reality is that if you have a high VantageScore credit score, you'll likely also have a high FICO score. But if you're planning on making a big purchase like a car or a house, it's better to know what your FICO score is, because most lenders use your FICO score to make decisions.
FICO and VantageScore calculate your credit score using a formula that considers various factors, including:
That information is taken from your credit reports, which are produced by three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. While FICO and VantageScore's credit-scoring models essentially use the same factors from your credit report, they assign them different weights.
However, there's no need to overcomplicate things. In the end, if you use your credit responsibly and pay your bills on time, your credit score will gradually improve. Just be careful to never miss any payments—if you do, your score will drop more quickly than you’ll be able to build it back up.
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