The average FICO Score in the US is 715, according to FICO’s 2025 data. That puts the typical American in the “good” credit range. You can check your credit score on select credit card or loan statements, through a nonprofit counselor or with a free credit score service.
Your credit score is a three-digit number between 300 and 850 that represents your credit history, including your payments and defaults. Lenders use your credit score to predict how likely you are to repay a loan on time.
The higher your credit score, the better your odds of approval for financial products with low interest rates and flexible terms. It can also affect how much you’ll pay for car insurance in most states and what landlords charge for rent.
The “big three” credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — calculate your credit score based on proprietary algorithms that weigh different factors of your credit history.
A credit score of 670 or higher is generally considered “good.” About 71% of Americans have a good credit score or better, according to Experian. Most lenders are far more likely to approve those with good credit scores for loans and offer better terms and rates.
Scoring systems vary depending on which model provides your score. However, they’re similar in that the higher the credit score, the better your chances of being approved for a low-rate loan.
Borrowers with good credit or higher are typically delinquent on payments less than 5% of the time. This gives lenders confidence that loans extended to these borrowers will be paid back on time.
A credit score of 740 or higher is considered very good, and 800 or above is exceptional. Consumers in these ranges are the easiest for lenders to approve and typically receive the best interest rates. About 23% of Americans have an exceptional FICO Score of 800 or higher.
There’s more than one model for calculating credit scores, and lenders and bureaus weigh the information in your credit history differently. However, two scores are widely used: your FICO Score and your VantageScore.
Both scoring systems consider similar factors when determining your credit score, including how long you’ve had credit, your payment history, your credit utilization rate and how many loan products or other types of credit you carry. However, lenders use FICO Scores in about 90% of credit decisions, which makes it a good barometer for how potential lenders might see you when determining approval.
| Credit rating | How a lender sees your credit score | FICO Score | VantageScore 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional / Excellent | You represent the lowest risk to lenders. You’ll qualify for the best interest rates and most favorable loan terms. | 800+ | 781–850 |
| Very good / Good | You’re more likely than the average American to maintain healthy credit, and it’s unlikely you’ll incur an adverse event in the next 12 months. | 740–799 | 661–780 |
| Good / Fair | You’re less likely to declare bankruptcy, miss a payment on a debt or have a judgment against you, indicating less likelihood of a default. | 670–739 | 601–660 |
| Fair | You’re more likely to incur an adverse event such as a default, bankruptcy or something similar in the next year. | 580–669 | — |
| Poor | You’re highly likely to have adverse events listed on your credit report within the coming year, including court judgments, bankruptcies, insolvency or defaults. | 579 or lower | 600 or lower |
Note: FICO and VantageScore use different category labels and ranges. The table above maps them side by side for comparison, but the tiers don’t align one-to-one.
Several factors affect your overall credit score. The three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — all have their own models for calculating your score, which can result in slightly different scores from each.
Both the FICO Score and VantageScore 3.0 use a range of 300 to 850. Some older or proprietary scoring models from individual bureaus may use slightly different ranges, but the 300-to-850 scale is the standard you’ll encounter most often.
Some aspects of your credit score aren’t completely within your control. For example, if you recently turned 18, are new to the country or new to credit, there’s little you can do to add to the length of your credit history. Also, your credit score doesn’t consider your income, employment status, marital status or place of residence.
If you’re trying to maintain or improve your score, you should know what piece of the pie these five factors account for when calculating your FICO Score:
The “amounts owed” factor looks at your total debt across all accounts, not just credit cards. A key metric here is your credit utilization ratio, which measures how much of your available revolving credit you’re using. Keeping this below 30% is a common guideline, but lower is better.
VantageScore weighs similar factors but groups them differently. Payment history is the most influential factor in both models.
A credit bureau is an agency that collects and files information about your credit history into a report. The three main credit bureaus in the US are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
These bureaus don’t make lending decisions when you apply for credit. They simply provide your credit history to the lender.
Not usually. Your credit report is a detailed record of your borrowing history, while your credit score is a numerical representation of your creditworthiness based on your credit report. Most credit reports from bureaus don’t contain your credit score.
Your credit report includes:
It also contains data held on public records, such as bankruptcies.
Even though your credit report doesn’t typically contain your credit score, it’s important to regularly review your report for any errors. You can get free copies of your credit report from all three bureaus every week through AnnualCreditReport.com. This weekly access was made permanent in 2023.
If you spot errors, you can dispute them directly with the credit bureau that issued the report.
Avoid these five common credit mistakes that could drag your score down:
How does continually carrying a balance affect my credit score?
Carrying a balance increases your credit utilization ratio, which can lower your score. Use your credit card regularly to show you can responsibly manage a line of credit, but pay the balance in full at the end of each billing cycle to avoid extra interest charges and keep utilization low.
How does getting married affect your credit score?
Some people think that once you get married, you have a joint score with your spouse. This is a common credit myth. Marriage has no direct effect on your credit score. However, if you open joint accounts with your spouse, their payment behavior on those accounts can affect your credit.
What is an “adverse event?”
An adverse event refers to a negative item on your credit history, such as a default, bankruptcy, court judgment or personal insolvency.
What is the difference between a FICO Score and a VantageScore?
Both are credit scoring models that range from 300 to 850 and use your credit report data. FICO has been the industry standard for decades and is used in about 90% of lending decisions. VantageScore was created in 2006 by the three credit bureaus and is growing in adoption. VantageScore can generate a score with as little as one month of credit history, while FICO typically requires at least six months.
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What is my credit score
Hi Dion,
Thank you for your inquiry.
If you’d like to find out your score, you may generate it through credit agencies available like Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Though please keep in that your score differs from the company you request it from. You can find more information from our guide on how you can check your credit rating.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
May