What Is a Good Credit Score? FICO Ranges and What They Mean

Last updated: September 4, 2026

What is a good credit score? It depends on the scoring model.

For base FICO Scores, FICO currently labels:

• 300–579: Poor
• 580–669: Fair
• 670–739: Good
• 740–799: Very Good
• 800–850: Exceptional

So a base FICO Score from 670 through 739 falls in FICO’s Good category.

That does not mean 670 is a universal approval threshold, and 740 does not guarantee a lender’s best available rate. Lenders choose their own underwriting standards and can consider information beyond the score.

Key Takeaways

• FICO’s official Good range for base FICO Scores is 670–739.
• FICO labels 740–799 Very Good and 800–850 Exceptional.
• “Good” is a scoring-category label, not a universal lender requirement.
• A higher score generally represents lower modeled credit risk within the scoring system, but it does not guarantee approval or a particular rate.
• Consumers can have many credit scores because models, versions, credit-report data, products, and calculation dates can differ.
• FICO and VantageScore are different scoring systems and do not use identical category labels.
• A credit score does not measure income, savings, net worth, or whether new debt is affordable.
• FICO’s familiar 35% / 30% / 15% / 10% / 10% categories are approximate relative-importance figures, not fixed point allocations.
• Credit utilization is one factor inside the broader Amounts Owed category. There is no universal 30% cutoff or under-10% requirement.
• Checking your own credit report or FICO Score does not hurt your FICO Score.
• Credit mix does not mean someone should open unnecessary debt just to add another account type.

What Is a Good Credit Score?

For base FICO Scores, a score from 670 to 739 is in FICO’s Good range.

The word “good” is a category label.

It is not:

• a legal standard,
• a universal lender cutoff,
• a guarantee of approval,
• a guarantee of a particular APR,
• a measure of income,
• a measure of wealth,
• or a judgment about someone’s financial character.

A FICO Score estimates credit risk using information from a credit report.

For a broader explanation of how scoring models work, see What Is a Credit Score?.

FICO Credit Score Ranges

FICO organizes base scores from 300 to 850 into five broad categories.

These ranges help interpret where a base FICO Score sits on FICO’s scale.

They should not be read as:

• lender approval bands,
• interest-rate tiers,
• credit-limit guarantees,
• apartment-screening rules,
• or product-qualification standards.

Industry-specific FICO Scores can also use a different 250–900 range, so the table above applies to base FICO Scores.

Is 670 a Good Credit Score?

Yes.

Under FICO’s base score ranges:

670–739 = Good

A score of 670 is the first score inside that category.

That classification alone does not tell you whether a lender will approve an application or what terms it will offer.

Is 700 a Good Credit Score?

Yes.

A score of 700 falls inside FICO’s Good range:

670 ≤ 700 ≤ 739

So under the base FICO system:

700 = Good

The classification describes where the score sits in FICO’s range. It is not a promise of any particular lending result.

Is 750 a Good Credit Score?

A base FICO Score of 750 is actually above the Good category.

FICO places it in:

740–799 = Very Good

So the official FICO label for 750 is Very Good.

That does not mean 750 guarantees a lender’s best rate or approval.

Is 800 a Good Credit Score?

A base FICO Score of 800 falls in FICO’s highest named category:

800–850 = Exceptional

FICO’s official label is Exceptional, not “Excellent.”

A higher FICO Score generally represents lower modeled credit risk, but an 800 score still does not guarantee approval, a particular rate, or a particular credit limit.

Why a “Good” Score Is Not an Approval Score

“Good” is a FICO category.

An “approval score” is not one universal number shared by every lender.

Depending on the product, a lender can separately consider information such as:

• income,
• existing debt obligations,
• ability to repay,
• collateral,
• requested loan amount,
• loan-to-value where applicable,
• and internal lending policies.

Two applicants with the same score can receive different outcomes because the rest of their applications differ.

For the broader relationship between scores, accounts, and underwriting, see the Credit Guide.

Why Lenders Can Treat the Same Score Differently

Lenders choose which scoring model and underwriting standards they use.

One lender may use a different:

• FICO version,
• industry-specific score,
• credit-report source,
• risk threshold,
• or product policy

than another lender.

The requested product also matters.

A credit-card issuer, auto lender, mortgage lender, and personal-loan lender may not evaluate the same application in the same way.

That is why a score should be treated as one input, not the entire lending decision.

FICO vs. VantageScore

FICO and VantageScore are separate scoring systems.

Both use a 300–850 scale in common modern versions, but their category labels are not the same.

FICO’s base categories include:

• Poor,
• Fair,
• Good,
• Very Good,
• Exceptional.

VantageScore 4.0 uses different tiers:

So a score should not automatically be called “Good” simply because it falls inside FICO’s Good range.

First identify the scoring model.

Why You Have More Than One Credit Score

Consumers do not have just one credit score.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains that scores can differ because of:

• the scoring model,
• the version of the model,
• the source of the credit-report data,
• the type of lending product,
• and the date the score was calculated.

For example, a score generated from one bureau’s data can differ from a score generated from another bureau’s data.

A lender can also use a different score from the one displayed in a consumer app.

That difference is not automatically an error.

Credit Report vs. Credit Score

A credit report and a credit score are different.

Credit report: the underlying record of credit-related information.

Credit score: a number created by a scoring model using information from a credit report.

A score in FICO’s Good category does not prove that every item on the underlying report is accurate.

Consumers can review reports for incorrect or incomplete information.

For a practical walkthrough, see How to Read a Credit Report.

What Affects a FICO Score?

FICO groups credit-report information into five broad categories.

These percentages require an important caveat:

They are not fixed point buckets.

For example, this is not a valid calculation:

850 × 35% = payment-history points

FICO says the importance of the categories can vary depending on the person’s credit profile.

That is why one action does not have one universal score-point result.

How Credit Utilization Fits Into a FICO Score

Credit utilization is one factor inside FICO’s broader Amounts Owed category.

For one credit card, the basic calculation is:

Credit Utilization = Reported Balance ÷ Credit Limit × 100

Suppose a card reports:

• Balance: $500
• Credit limit: $5,000

Calculation:

$500 ÷ $5,000 × 100 = 10%

The result is:

10% utilization

That number is the result of the formula.

It is not a universal target.

There is no universal:

• 30% cutoff,
• under-10% requirement,
• or guaranteed score result.

For the full calculation and reporting caveats, see Credit Utilization.

How Payment History Fits Into a FICO Score

Payment history is one of the major FICO categories.

It can include information about whether reported accounts were paid according to their terms and whether delinquencies or other negative payment information appear.

FICO describes payment history as about 35% of a typical score, but that does not mean one payment is worth a fixed number of points.

A late payment does not have one universal score impact.

The effect depends on the broader credit profile and scoring model.

Do Hard Inquiries Affect a Credit Score?

Hard inquiries can affect FICO Scores.

They generally occur when a lender obtains credit information in connection with an application for new credit.

Soft inquiries are different.

Checking your own credit report or FICO Score is a soft inquiry and does not affect your FICO Score.

There is no universal fixed number of points lost from a hard inquiry. The effect can vary by credit profile.

Does Credit Mix Mean You Need Different Types of Debt?

No.

FICO can consider experience with different types of credit accounts.

Examples can include:

• revolving accounts,
• installment loans,
• retail accounts,
• finance-company accounts,
• and mortgages.

But myFICO explicitly says it is not necessary to have one of each.

Opening an unnecessary account solely to create a particular credit mix is not required.

For the structural difference between the two major account types, see Revolving vs. Installment Credit.

Does Closing a Credit Card Automatically Hurt Your Score?

No universal result applies.

Closing a revolving account can affect utilization because its available credit may no longer be included once the closed account reports a $0 balance.

If other revolving balances remain, overall utilization can rise.

But closing a card does not mean its age instantly disappears from FICO calculations.

myFICO says FICO Scores generally consider the age of both open and closed accounts while those accounts remain on the credit report.

So the statement:

“Closing your oldest card immediately shortens your average credit age”

is too simplistic.

The exact score effect depends on the entire credit report.

For the underlying card mechanics, see How Credit Cards Work.

What a Good Credit Score Can Tell You

A base FICO Score in the Good range tells you where that score sits within FICO’s 300–850 risk scale.

Within that model:

• 670–739 falls in the Good category,
• higher scores generally represent lower modeled credit risk,
• and lower scores generally represent higher modeled credit risk.

That information can be useful.

But it has a limited purpose.

What a Good Credit Score Cannot Tell You

A credit score does not tell you:

• how much income someone earns,
• how much cash they have saved,
• their net worth,
• their investment balances,
• whether a proposed payment is affordable,
• whether taking a particular loan is financially appropriate,
• whether a lender will approve an application,
• or what exact rate or credit limit a lender will offer.

FICO also does not use income to calculate FICO Scores.

A person can therefore have a strong FICO Score and still have limited savings or high financial obligations.

A person can also have substantial assets and a lower score because credit scoring measures credit-report behavior rather than wealth.

Does a Good Credit Score Guarantee a Lower Interest Rate?

No.

The CFPB says a higher score usually makes qualifying easier and may result in better interest rates or loan terms.

The word may matters.

Pricing can also depend on:

• the credit product,
• lender,
• loan amount,
• repayment term,
• collateral,
• market conditions,
• and other underwriting information.

There is no universal score at which every lender offers its best rate.

Can You Have a Good Score and Still Be Denied?

Yes.

A lender can deny an application even when the applicant’s score falls in FICO’s Good, Very Good, or Exceptional category.

Possible reasons can involve:

• income or ability to repay,
• existing obligations,
• collateral,
• requested loan amount,
• product requirements,
• or the lender’s internal policies.

Likewise, a score below FICO’s Good range does not automatically mean every lender will deny the application.

How Can You Check Your Credit Score?

Consumers may be able to obtain a credit score from sources such as:

• a credit-card issuer,
• a bank or credit union,
• a lender,
• a nonprofit credit or housing counselor,
• or a credit-score service.

The score provided may not be the same score a particular lender later uses.

When reviewing a score, check:

• whether it is FICO or VantageScore,
• which model version is shown if available,
• which bureau’s data is used,
• and when the score was calculated.

Checking your own score does not hurt your FICO Score.

If Your Score Is Lower Than Expected

A lower score does not automatically mean one specific thing is wrong.

Useful places to investigate include:

• the underlying credit report,
• reported payment history,
• revolving balances and limits,
• recently opened accounts,
• and inquiries.

If report information appears inaccurate or incomplete, consumers have the right to dispute it.

If utilization is part of the issue, reducing a revolving balance changes the utilization math after the lower balance is reported.

No particular action guarantees a specific score increase or timeline.

Common Good Credit Score Myths

The Bottom Line

So, what is a good credit score?

For base FICO Scores:

670–739 = Good

FICO labels:

740–799 = Very Good

and:

800–850 = Exceptional

Those categories help interpret a FICO Score.

They do not create universal lending rules.

A score estimates credit risk using credit-report information. It does not measure wealth, income, affordability, or overall financial health, and it cannot guarantee approval, a rate, or a credit limit.

The most important first step when interpreting any score is to identify which scoring model produced it.

Sources and References

• myFICO — What Is a FICO Score?
• myFICO — FICO Score Ranges
• myFICO — FICO Score Versions
• myFICO — What’s in My FICO Scores?
• myFICO — Does Checking Your Credit Score Lower It?
• myFICO — How to Decide Whether It’s Time to Close a Credit Card
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — What Is a Credit Score?
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Understand Your Credit Score
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Credit Reports and Scores
• VantageScore — VantageScore 4.0 Credit Tiers

Editorial Disclosure

The Rich Guy Math provides general financial education and calculation tools. We may discuss credit reports, credit scores, credit cards, loans, and credit-management concepts for educational and illustrative purposes, but we do not provide individualized financial, credit-repair, legal, or accounting advice. Credit-scoring models, lender practices, underwriting standards, interest rates, and credit-report information can vary, and no specific score, approval, rate, credit limit, or credit outcome is guaranteed.

About the Author

Max Fonji is the founder and financial education writer behind The Rich Guy Math. He researches and explains personal-finance concepts using calculations, authoritative sources, practical examples, and plain language. His work focuses on helping readers understand how money decisions work rather than providing individualized financial advice.