A credit score is a three-digit number, but it doesn't mean much on its own — what matters is which range it falls into. The gap between "fair" and "good" credit can mean thousands of dollars in extra interest on a single loan, and the gap between "good" and "exceptional" can mean the difference between qualifying for a lender's best rate or their average one. The problem is that there isn't just one set of ranges. FICO and VantageScore, the two scoring models behind nearly every lending decision in the U.S., draw the lines in slightly different places.
This report breaks down both scoring systems, what each tier actually means for approvals and pricing, and where most Americans currently stand.
Quick Answer
Credit scores generally run from 300 to 850, and both major scoring models divide that scale into five tiers. Under the FICO Score model, the ranges are: Poor (300–579), Fair (580–669), Good (670–739), Very Good (740–799), and Exceptional (800–850). Under the VantageScore model (3.0 and 4.0), the ranges are grouped differently: Subprime (300–600), Near Prime (601–660), Prime/Good (661–780), and Superprime/Excellent (781–850). A score in the high 600s marks the entry point to "good" credit on either model, though the exact cutoff differs by about 9 points.
Key Findings
FICO Score Range | Category | VantageScore Range | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
300–579 | Poor | 300–600 | Subprime (Poor) |
580–669 | Fair | 601–660 | Near Prime (Fair) |
670–739 | Good | 661–780 | Prime (Good) |
740–799 | Very Good | 661–780 | Prime (Good, cont.) |
800–850 | Exceptional | 781–850 | Superprime (Excellent) |
Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
National average FICO Score (2026) | 713–715 |
National average VantageScore 4.0 (2026) | ~701 |
Americans in the Exceptional/Excellent range (800+) | ~21%–24% |
Americans in Very Good range (740–799) | ~25% |
Americans in Good range (670–739) | ~21% |
Americans in Fair range (580–669) | ~17% |
Americans in Poor range (below 580) | ~15%–16% |
Interest-rate gap, Fair vs. Exceptional (30-yr mortgage) | ~1.5–2.0 percentage points |
The FICO Score ranges
The FICO Score is used by roughly 90% of top U.S. lenders, and its five-tier structure is the version most consumers see on their credit card app or credit monitoring service.
Poor: 300–579. Scores this low typically reflect serious negative history — missed payments, collections, or a bankruptcy. Most traditional lenders decline applications in this range, and any approvals that do come through usually require a security deposit or cosigner.
Fair: 580–669. This range still allows for approval on many products, but at meaningfully higher interest rates. It's also the range that unlocks FHA mortgage eligibility (580) and, near its upper end, most conventional auto lending.
Good: 670–739. This is where the average American credit score currently sits, and it's the threshold most mainstream unsecured credit cards use as a baseline. Pricing starts to spread out meaningfully in this range — one lender may treat a 670 as average, while another competes harder for the same application.
Very Good: 740–799. Often called "near-prime," this range puts a borrower close to a lender's best available terms. Most conventional mortgage lenders reserve their lowest advertised rates for applicants at 740 and above.
Exceptional: 800–850. The top tier. Borrowers here are approved almost anywhere and receive the lowest rates and fees a lender offers. Roughly one in five Americans currently falls into this range.
The VantageScore ranges
VantageScore, jointly developed by the three major credit bureaus, uses the same 300–850 scale but different tier boundaries and different names.
Subprime: 300–600. Approval is difficult, and any credit extended typically comes with high fees or a required deposit.
Near Prime: 601–660. Some approvals are possible, but usually with less favorable terms, larger deposits, or added documentation requirements.
Prime (Good): 661–780. This is VantageScore's widest tier by far, spanning 120 points. It covers everything from a solidly average score to a score that's nearly exceptional under FICO's system — which is part of why the same consumer can look noticeably different depending on which model a lender pulls.
Superprime (Excellent): 781–850. The best available rates and terms, comparable to FICO's Exceptional tier, though it starts 19 points lower.
Why the same score can mean two different things
Because FICO's "Good" range starts at 670 and VantageScore's equivalent starts at 661, a consumer with a 665 score is labeled "Fair" under FICO and "Good" under VantageScore. That's not a data error — it reflects two different formulas built from different weighting assumptions, different historical default data, and, in the case of VantageScore 4.0, trended data that looks at how balances move over time rather than a single snapshot. A 30- to 50-point gap between a consumer's FICO Score and VantageScore is common even when both are pulling from the same credit report.
This matters practically because lenders choose which model to use, and they don't always disclose it. Mortgage lenders overwhelmingly rely on older FICO models (FICO 2, 4, or 5, depending on the bureau), while some credit card issuers and fintech lenders use VantageScore 3.0 or 4.0. A consumer checking a free credit score app may be looking at a VantageScore number that doesn't match what a mortgage lender pulls a few weeks later.
Where Americans fall today
The national average FICO Score sits at 713–715 heading through 2026, placing the typical American just inside the "Good" range. The average VantageScore 4.0 is close behind at roughly 701, also within its "Prime/Good" band. Distribution across the five FICO tiers is roughly: 21% Exceptional, 25% Very Good, 21% Good, 17% Fair, and the remainder Poor — meaning slightly less than half of all Americans currently sit at 740 or above.
Research Insights
The most consequential range boundary isn't the top of the scale — it's the jump from Fair to Good. Data from recent mortgage rate comparisons shows the difference between a Fair-range score (roughly 620) and an Exceptional-range score (760+) can amount to 1.5 to 2.0 percentage points in APR on a 30-year mortgage, which translates to hundreds of dollars a month and well over $100,000 in additional interest across the life of the loan. That single range jump — from Fair to Good — also correlates with one of the largest single increases in mortgage approval probability of any adjacent tier transition, because it's the point where most lenders' automated underwriting systems switch from "manual review" to "standard approval" logic.
This is also where the FICO/VantageScore gap becomes more than a technicality. A consumer sitting at 665 might reasonably believe they have "good" credit based on a free VantageScore reading, apply for a mortgage, and be surprised to find their FICO Score puts them in "Fair" territory with a materially worse rate quote. Understanding which model a specific lender uses — and checking that specific score before applying — is a more useful step than simply monitoring a single all-purpose number.
Consumer Impact
For most consumers, the practical use of these ranges isn't chasing the top tier — it's knowing which threshold sits closest to their current score, since that's the one most likely to move their next approval or rate offer. Someone at a 655 has more to gain by crossing into FICO's 670 "Good" threshold than someone already at 720 has by reaching 740, simply because more lending products change tiers at that specific line.
Utilization and payment history remain the two levers within a consumer's direct control from one billing cycle to the next, and both influence which side of a range boundary a score lands on faster than any other factor. A consumer close to a tier boundary — within 10 or 15 points — can often cross it within a few months by paying down revolving balances rather than waiting for older negative items to age off a report.
Future Outlook
Expect the gap between FICO and VantageScore tier boundaries to persist rather than converge, since the two companies compete on different features (VantageScore markets itself on including thinner credit files and alternative data, while FICO remains the standard for mortgage underwriting). Newer models on both sides — FICO 10T and VantageScore 4.0 — are increasingly able to incorporate alternative payment data such as rent, utilities, and buy-now-pay-later activity, which is gradually shifting more consumers from the bottom of the Fair/Near Prime range into Good territory without any change in traditional credit card or loan behavior. That shift, combined with the resumption of student loan delinquency reporting pulling some borrowers in the opposite direction, means the population is likely to keep spreading toward both ends of the scale rather than clustering tightly around the middle.
FAQ
What are the five FICO credit score ranges?
FICO divides scores into five ranges: Poor (300–579), Fair (580–669), Good (670–739), Very Good (740–799), and Exceptional (800–850). These are the ranges most credit card issuers and consumer credit monitoring tools reference.
What are the VantageScore credit ranges?
VantageScore groups scores into four tiers: Subprime (300–600), Near Prime (601–660), Prime or Good (661–780), and Superprime or Excellent (781–850). VantageScore's naming and boundaries differ from FICO's, even though both use a 300–850 scale.
Why do I have different scores from FICO and VantageScore?
FICO and VantageScore use different formulas, different weighting for each credit factor, and sometimes different data windows. A 30- to 50-point difference between the two scores is common even when both are calculated from the same credit report.
What credit score range do I need for a mortgage?
Most conventional mortgage lenders reserve their lowest advertised rates for FICO Scores of 740 and above. FHA loans allow scores as low as 580, and some programs go lower with a larger down payment, though rates and terms are less favorable below 620.
What is considered a good credit score in 2026?
A FICO Score of 670–739 is considered good, while the equivalent VantageScore range (Prime) runs from 661–780. The current national average FICO Score is roughly 713–715, meaning the typical American already falls in the good range.
How much does credit score range affect interest rates?
Significantly. Data on 30-year mortgages shows the rate gap between a Fair-range score and an Exceptional-range score can run 1.5 to 2.0 percentage points, which can add well over $100,000 in total interest on a typical home loan.
Do all lenders use the same credit score range?
No. Lenders choose which scoring model and version to use — FICO 8, FICO 2/4/5 for mortgages, VantageScore 3.0, or VantageScore 4.0 — and each has slightly different range boundaries and underlying calculations, so the same consumer can receive different scores from different lenders.
Conclusion
Credit score ranges exist to translate a three-digit number into something lenders can act on quickly, but the two major systems don't draw their lines in the same place. Knowing both the FICO and VantageScore boundaries — and which one a specific lender is likely to use — is more useful than fixating on a single score in isolation. For consumers working to move from one tier into the next, the fastest path is almost always the same: lower revolving balances and a clean, consistent payment record. Readers who want help identifying what's holding their score in a lower tier, or reviewing their credit report for errors that may be affecting it, can find local support through creditrepairinmyarea.com or by calling (888) 804-0104.