What Is Considered a Good Credit Score
A good credit score generally falls in the middle-to-upper range of a scoring model. For FICO Scores, 670 to 739 is often labeled good; for VantageScore, 661 to 780 is often labeled good. But what counts as good depends on the lender and the specific credit product.
A credit score is a number that summarizes information in a consumer's credit reports at a given point in time. Lenders use scores to help estimate the likelihood that a borrower will repay as agreed. The phrase "good credit score" is not a universal standard. Each scoring model defines its own ranges, and each lender decides what range it will accept for a particular loan or card. Two models dominate in the United States: the FICO Score and the VantageScore. Both produce scores on a scale from 300 to 850, but their category labels and cutoffs differ. Therefore, what counts as good depends on which model a lender uses and the lender's own criteria.
For the FICO Score, the company that created it publishes these general categories: 800 to 850 is exceptional, 740 to 799 is very good, 670 to 739 is good, 580 to 669 is fair, and 300 to 579 is poor. Under this framework, a FICO Score of 670 or above is typically described as good or better. However, a lender may treat a score of 700 as good for one product and require a higher score for another. Mortgage lenders, for instance, often have different score thresholds than credit card issuers. The category labels are descriptive, not binding. They simply reflect how the model's developer groups scores for general understanding.
VantageScore, developed by the three nationwide credit reporting companies, uses a similar 300 to 850 range but with different labels. Its published categories are: 781 to 850 excellent, 661 to 780 good, 601 to 660 fair, 500 to 600 poor, and 300 to 499 very poor. Under this model, a score of 661 or above falls into the good range or higher. The gap between FICO's good threshold of 670 and VantageScore's 661 illustrates that no single number defines good credit across all systems. Some lenders use older versions of these models, or they may use a custom score built for their own portfolio. The specific model and version matter.
Beyond the scoring model, the credit product and the lender's risk tolerance shape what is considered good. An auto lender may approve a borrower with a score in the fair range, while a mortgage lender might require a higher score for the best terms. A score is also a snapshot: it reflects the information in a credit report at the moment it is calculated, and that information changes over time. Consumers can obtain free credit reports from each nationwide credit reporting company through AnnualCreditReport.com. Reviewing one's own reports does not affect credit scores. Credit scores themselves are not provided on that site, but they may be available from other sources. The key point is that "good" is relative to the context in which the score is used.