What Is The FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) Score Range?

The FICO score spans from 300 up to 850, with each band indicating a distinct credit‑risk level. Knowing the band your score occupies lets you gauge how lenders are likely to view you later in this article.

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

The FICO score spans 300 to 850, and it is divided into five bands: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor.

Lenders typically treat scores at the top of the range as the most favorable, offering the lowest interest rates and the most loan options. Scores in the lower bands may limit access to credit or result in higher costs, though exact outcomes can vary by lender and product.

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

These thresholds follow the definitions published in FICO's official scoring‑range guide (2024).

U.S. adults with a FICO score (300‑850) fall into five standard bands, and recent FICO data show how the population spreads across them.

• Excellent 800‑850: ~21% of consumers
• Very Good 740‑799: ~20%
• Good 670‑739: ~19%
• Fair 580‑669: ~19%
• Poor 300‑579: ~21%

These figures come from the 2023 FICO credit‑score distribution report FICO 2023 data release. The balance of borrowers clusters around the Good and Fair ranges, meaning most lenders work with scores between 580 and 739 when evaluating risk.

Lenders use your FICO score range from 300‑850 to decide whether to approve a loan, what interest rate to offer, and what additional conditions may apply.

Because the scale is split into bands, each band triggers a different underwriting response. Scores 800‑850 (excellent) typically earn the lowest rates and the most flexible terms. Scores 740‑799 (very good) receive near‑best pricing. Scores 670‑739 (good) qualify for most products but pay a modest premium. Scores 580‑669 (fair) often must provide a larger down payment or a co‑signer. Scores 300‑579 (poor) may be steered to sub‑prime loans or face denial.

• Rate tier: each 20‑point rise can shave about 0.1‑0.3 % off the APR.
• Loan‑to‑value ceiling: higher scores allow higher LTV ratios (up to 97 % for excellent vs 80‑85 % for fair).
• Down‑payment requirement: poor scores may need 10‑20 % more cash.
• Underwriting speed: excellent scores often auto‑approve; fair/poor scores trigger manual review.
• Product eligibility: sub‑prime credit cards, higher‑interest auto loans, or secured lines are common for scores below 580.

Mortgage and auto loan pricing shifts noticeably across the five FICO bands, so lenders often show a rate 'range' tied to where your 300‑850 score falls.

• Excellent 800‑850 - 30‑year fixed mortgage ~6.0% (average); new‑car APR ~3.5%
• Very good 740‑799 - mortgage ~6.4%; auto APR ~4.5%
• Good 670‑739 - mortgage ~6.9%; auto APR ~5.5%
• Fair 580‑669 - mortgage ~7.5%; auto APR ~7.0%
• Poor 300‑579 - mortgage ~8.2%; auto APR ~9.5%

Rates come from the FICO 2023 mortgage rate study and the Experian 2024 auto lending report. 'Typical' reflects the average APR offered to borrowers within each band during 2023‑2024; individual offers may vary by loan amount, down payment, and lender policy.

Higher scores generally unlock lower interest, which can shave thousands off a 30‑year loan or reduce monthly car payments by hundreds. Conversely, scores in the fair or poor range often trigger higher rates and stricter terms, underscoring why moving up a band can be financially impactful.

You can obtain an authentic FICO score directly from the source that calculates it, from the three major credit bureaus, or from many free‑score programs that lenders provide.

• myFICO.com - the official portal offers all current FICO versions (8, 9, 10, 10T) and shows the full 300‑850 range with the standard bands: excellent 800‑850, very good 740‑799, good 670‑739, fair 580‑669, poor 300‑579.
• Experian, Equifax, TransUnion - each bureau sells a single‑consumer FICO report (usually FICO 8) for a small fee; the score appears on the same 300‑850 scale.
• Banking/credit‑card apps - many major banks and credit‑card issuers provide a free, up‑to‑date FICO score to account holders, typically the version the lender uses.
• Mortgage‑oriented portals - services such as myFICO's free trial or lender‑specific dashboards often let you view your FICO score after you open an account.

Choose the method that matches the version your lender will see, then monitor that same 300‑850 score over time.

Lenders don't all look at the same 300‑850 FICO score; they use different algorithm versions that weigh factors slightly differently. The version you're scored on determines how mortgage, auto and credit‑card applications are evaluated, and can shift you between the excellent (800‑850), very good (740‑799), good (670‑739), fair (580‑669) and poor (300‑579) bands.

• FICO 8 - still the workhorse; used by roughly 70 % of banks, major credit‑card issuers and most auto lenders (see FICO version adoption statistics).
• FICO 9 - favored by many mortgage lenders; about 20 % of lenders prefer it because it down‑weights medical debt and paid collections.
• FICO 10 T - newest version; embraced by about 10 % of lenders, especially fintech platforms and some credit unions that incorporate trended data.
• Legacy versions (FICO 2‑7) - appear in a small slice of niche or legacy systems, typically under 5 % of portfolios.

Knowing which version your lender will run helps you anticipate how your 300‑850 FICO score translates into rates and approval odds; using the right version can mean a lower interest rate in the very good band or a smoother path to building credit.

Moving from one FICO range to another isn't instantaneous; it typically reflects months of consistent, positive credit behavior. A 20‑30‑point gain can appear in 3‑6 months if you add on‑time accounts, lower utilization, and avoid new hard inquiries. Larger jumps - especially crossing a category boundary - often require 12 months or more of sustained improvement and the gradual aging out of negative items.

Typical timeframes for crossing each category band (300‑850):

• Poor (300‑579) → Fair (580‑669): 6‑12 months of reduced balances and no new delinquencies.
• Fair (580‑669) → Good (670‑739): 9‑15 months, plus at least one additional credit line aged 6‑12 months.
• Good (670‑739) → Very Good (740‑799): 12‑24 months, driven by continuous low utilization (<30 %) and a clean payment history.
• Very Good (740‑799) → Excellent (800‑850): 18‑36 months, requiring long‑standing, high‑credit‑limit accounts and zero recent negatives.

Speed varies with the weight of each factor in the FICO Score Factors model, the depth of your credit file, and how quickly negative items age off your report.

To lift a FICO score from the fair (580‑669) or good (670‑739) band into very good (740‑799) or even excellent (800‑850), apply five practical moves that target the core scoring pillars.

These actions focus on payment history, credit utilization, account age, credit mix and errors, and they work across the 300‑850 scale (see official FICO methodology overview); each step typically adds 20‑50 points when performed consistently.

• Pay every bill on time by setting auto‑pay or calendar reminders; on‑time history accounts for about 35% of the score.
• Reduce revolving balances to below 30% of each limit, ideally under 10%; lower utilization directly raises the utilization factor.
• Keep old accounts open, even if unused, because longer credit history contributes up to 15% of the score.
• Add a modest installment loan, such as a small personal or auto loan, and make payments on schedule; a healthy mix can add points.
• Dispute any inaccurate negative items and enroll in credit monitoring; removing errors eliminates large score drags.

FICO scores use the 300‑850 range and weight payment history 35%, amounts owed 30%, length of credit 15%, new credit 10% and mix 10% (FICO scoring model overview); VantageScore also spans 300‑850 but puts more emphasis on recent behavior, payment 40%, utilization 20%, age of account 21%, recent inquiries 11%, balances 5% and types 3% (VantageScore model explanation).

Both treat collections similarly, yet VantageScore can produce a score after as little as one month of activity, while FICO typically needs six months. If your file is new, VantageScore may show a number sooner, but FICO's longer history can smooth temporary spikes.

In 2024 FICO adoption report, about 90% of major banks and most mortgage lenders still run the latest FICO version (FICO 10 or 11), while credit‑card issuers and some auto lenders increasingly accept VantageScore 4.0 (2023 Experian VantageScore usage).

Because lenders price rates based on the model they use, a 720 FICO (Good) may translate to a slightly lower VantageScore, but the band definitions are identical (Good 670‑739, etc.). If you shop for a loan, ask which model the lender prefers; the answer determines whether you should focus on improving the factor that each model emphasizes.

A thin credit file means the bureau has five or fewer tradelines, often just one revolving account or a single installment loan. With such limited data, the FICO score typically falls in the Fair (580‑669) or Poor (300‑579) band, and some lenders may issue a 'score not available' notice instead of a numeric value. The limited history also reduces the score's predictive power, so lenders weight it cautiously.

Real‑world thin‑file scores usually cluster around the following ranges:

• One active credit‑card → ≈ 620 (upper Fair)
• One small auto loan → ≈ 640 (Very Good‑borderline Fair)
• Student loan only → ≈ 630 (Fair)
• Recent credit‑builder loan → ≈ 600 (Poor‑mid Fair)
• No open accounts but a positive rental history → ≈ 610 (Fair)

These figures are typical, not guaranteed; payment history, utilization, and age of the account can shift the score a few dozen points. Expect lenders to rely more on alternative data or require a larger deposit until your file thickens. If your score suddenly drops far below these expectations, the next section explains how identity theft or reporting errors can be the culprit.

Identity theft or reporting errors can yank your FICO score from an excellent 800‑850 band down into the fair or poor 300‑579 range almost overnight.

• Request free credit reports from the three bureaus at Annual Credit Report.
• Scan each report for unauthorized accounts, sudden high balances, or incorrect personal data.
• Place a fraud alert or a security freeze with each bureau to stop further misuse.
• Dispute every inaccurate entry online or by certified mail, providing supporting documents.
• Monitor your FICO score weekly to verify that corrections take effect and to spot any new issues.
• Add a credit‑monitoring service for real‑time alerts if you prefer continuous oversight.

Corrections typically appear within 30‑45 days, after which your score can climb back toward its prior band, provided no new fraud occurs. Ongoing vigilance keeps the FICO score stable and protects future borrowing opportunities.