FICO Score Range Explained: What Your Number Really Means

FICO Score Range Explained: What Your Number Really Means

Your FICO score range runs from 300 to 850. Each tier unlocks or locks specific financial products, interest rates, and opportunities worth tens of thousands of dollars over your lifetime.

The FICO Score Range: Full Breakdown

800–850: Exceptional

Top 21% of credit users. Best rates on everything. A 800+ score on a $300,000 mortgage could mean 1.5% lower rate than someone at 620 — $90,000 in savings over 30 years.

740–799: Very Good

Qualify for nearly everything at competitive rates. Most premium credit cards and best auto loan rates available here.

670–739: Good

National average range. Approved for most loans and cards, but not always best rates. On a $35,000 auto loan (60 months), difference between 670 and 750 is roughly $2,100 total interest.

580–669: Fair

Subprime territory. Auto loan APRs of 15-20% are common. On $15,000 car loan at 18% vs 5%: you pay $7,200 more.

300–579: Poor

Automatic denials on most credit products. But recoverable — people go from 520 to 720 in 18 months with consistent effort.

What Determines Your FICO Score

• Payment history (35%): Have you paid on time?
• Utilization (30%): How much available credit are you using?
• Length of history (15%): How old are your accounts?
• Credit mix (10%): Both installment loans and revolving credit?
• New credit (10%): How recently have you applied?

The Real Dollar Cost of Each Credit Tier

Mortgage ($300,000, 30 years)

• 760+ score: ~6.5% APR → $1,896/month
• 640-699: ~7.5% APR → $2,097/month (+$201/month)
• 580-639: ~8.8% APR → $2,370/month (+$474/month)

Going from 620 to 760 saves you $171,000 on the same mortgage.

Auto Loan ($35,000, 60 months)

• 720+: ~6% APR → $5,620 total interest
• 580-619: ~18% APR → $18,280 total interest (+$12,660)

How Long to Move Up a Tier?

Poor → Fair: 3-6 months. Fair → Good: 6-12 months. Good → Very Good: 1-2 years. Very Good → Exceptional: 2-3+ years. The fastest moves: pay down credit card balances (30-day impact) and dispute errors (can be instant).

What Your FICO Score Doesn't Factor In

Income, employment status, age, location, savings, or net worth. A minimum wage worker with 10 years of perfect payment history will outscore a doctor who just got their first credit card. FICO measures credit behavior, not wealth.

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