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What band is your score in?
Your FICO score — your band, points to the next band, and what it unlocks.
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Credit Score Ranges Chart
Your credit score is a three-digit number between 300 and 850 — and the gap between 620 and 760 is the gap between the conventional mortgage floor and the best rates lenders offer. The table below is the industry-standard FICO band map: 300–579 Poor, 580–669 Fair, 670–739 Good, 740–799 Very Good, 800–850 Exceptional. Enter your score to find your band, see how many points you need for the next one, and check your utilization against the 30% line. Tip: the tables print cleanly — Ctrl/Cmd+P for a pocket reference.
The FICO bands, 300 to 850
The industry-standard map. Find your range, then look up your exact score below.
| Score range | Band | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| 300–579 | Poor | Secured cards and credit-builder loans; many applications are denied. |
| 580–669 | Fair | FHA mortgages at 580+ (3.5% down); auto loans approved at higher rates. |
| 670–739 | Good | Conventional mortgages — above the 620 floor; competitive auto rates. |
| 740–799 | Very Good | Near-best mortgage rates; premium rewards cards. |
| 800–850 | Exceptional | The best rates lenders offer; top-tier cards. |
Mortgage tiers inside the bands: 760+ earns the best rates, 740–759 is strong, 700–739 is competitive, 660–699 climbs, 620–659 is the conventional floor, and below 620 is FHA territory (580+ puts 3.5% down, 500–579 puts 10% down). The full tier table is further down the page.
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Credit utilization check
Your balances and limits — the 30% line that moves scores fast.
The 60-second rule
Know your band, your next milestone, and your utilization. At the defaults a score of 720 is Good — 20 points from Very Good (740), the band where mortgage pricing gets serious. Meanwhile $2,400 on an $8,000 limit is 30.0% utilization — the exact danger line: lenders start frowning at 30% and smile under 10%. Payment history (35%) and amounts owed (30%) are nearly two-thirds of your score — everything else is detail.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Score band | Score vs the FICO 300–850 bands | 720 → Good (670–739). |
| Points to next band | Next band start − score | 20 points to Very Good (740). |
| Utilization | Balance ÷ limit × 100 | 30.0% — at the danger line (10.0% is ideal). |
What moves your score (FICO weights)
| FICO factor | Weight | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Payment history | 35% | One late payment hurts more than any other single factor. |
| Amounts owed | 30% | Balances vs. limits — the fastest lever you control. |
| Length of credit history | 15% | Age of your oldest account and the average age of all accounts. |
| New credit | 10% | Hard inquiries and freshly opened accounts. |
| Credit mix | 10% | Revolving plus installment together beats one type alone. |
Mortgage rate tiers
Lenders do not price on bands alone — they price on tiers inside them. A few points across a tier line can be worth thousands over a 30-year loan.
| Score | Mortgage tier | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 760+ | Best rates | Top-tier pricing — the number every borrower chases. |
| 740–759 | Strong | A hair above the best; premium cards and easy approvals. |
| 700–739 | Competitive | Where most qualified borrowers land. |
| 660–699 | Climbing | Rates rise as lenders price in more risk. |
| 620–659 | Conventional floor | Eligible for conventional loans — at a higher cost. |
| Below 620 | FHA / limited | FHA territory: 580+ puts 3.5% down, 500–579 puts 10% down. |
Who uses this
- First-time homebuyers: 620 is the conventional floor and 760+ earns the best rates — know which side of each line you are on before the pre-approval, not after.
- Auto-loan shoppers: Good vs Fair is often a full percentage point or more on the loan. The band is the negotiation.
- Renters facing a credit check: landlords commonly want 650+; know your band before the application fee becomes non-refundable.
- Score rebuilders: utilization under 10% plus on-time payments are the two fastest levers — both are checkable on this page in seconds.
Accuracy & limitations
Mortgage lenders do not use the score on your free app. They pull your FICO 2, 4, and 5 mortgage scores — one per bureau — and underwrite on the middle of the three, which usually runs lower than the FICO 8 or VantageScore number on your phone. The bands on this page are the industry-standard FICO map, but every lender sets its own cutoffs — 740 unlocks “very good” pricing at most banks and nothing special at a strict one. Scores also lag reality: bureaus update when lenders report, typically monthly, so a balance you paid yesterday may not show for weeks. Treat this page as the map, not the destination.
Cite this calculatorBright Side Kit. “Credit Score Ranges Chart & Checker.” brightoolbox.com, 2026.
Bright Side Kit. "Credit Score Ranges Chart & Checker." https://brightoolbox.com/credit-score-chart/ Accessed October 23, 2026.Frequently asked questions
What credit score gets the best mortgage rate?
760 and up earns the best rates most lenders offer. 740–759 is strong, 700–739 is competitive, and 620 is the conventional loan floor — below that you are in FHA territory (580+ puts 3.5% down, 500–579 puts 10% down).
What is the real difference between 740 and 760?
Twenty points and one pricing tier. 760+ is the best-rate tier; 740–759 is priced a hair above it. On a 30-year mortgage that hair can be thousands of dollars — the cheapest rate improvement in personal finance is often just crossing 760.
How fast can I raise my credit score?
Utilization is the fast lever: paying balances down posts within one to two billing cycles once the lender reports. Payment history is the slow lever — a late payment fades over years. New accounts and inquiries move the needle by a few points in weeks.
Does checking my own score hurt it?
No. Checking your own score is a soft inquiry — invisible to lenders and scoreless. Only hard inquiries from applications count, and each one costs just a few points for about a year.
Why is my mortgage score lower than my Credit Karma score?
Free sites show VantageScore or FICO 8. Mortgage lenders use FICO 2, 4, and 5 and underwrite on the middle of the three bureau scores — a different, usually lower number built for mortgage risk. Compare band to band, not number to number.
What counts most in a credit score?
The FICO recipe: payment history 35%, amounts owed 30%, length of credit history 15%, new credit 10%, credit mix 10%. On-time payments plus low utilization are nearly two-thirds of the whole score.
Is a 720 credit score good?
Yes — 720 is solidly Good (670–739), above the 620 conventional floor, and only 20 points from Very Good (740). From 720 the highest-value move is usually crossing 740 for better mortgage pricing, then 760 for the best.