What is a good credit score?

What’s considered a good credit score depends on where a score comes from, who calculates it and who judges it. For example, credit-scoring company FICO® says good credit scores start at 670. 

Take a closer look at credit scores, including how they’re determined, who’s looking at them, the benefits of having a good score, and what you can do to monitor and improve yours.

What you’ll learn:

• Credit-scoring companies, such as FICO and VantageScore, calculate credit scores using different models.

• FICO says good credit scores fall between 670 and 739. 

• VantageScore says good scores fall between 661 and 780.

• Having good credit could help you qualify for better interest rates, higher credit limits and more.

FICO says a good score falls between 670 and 739. Scores in that range are near or slightly above the U.S. average credit score, which was 715 going into 2026. FICO’s highest credit score is 850, and FICO breaks its scores into the following five categories:

• Exceptional: 800-850

• Very good: 740-799

• Good: 670-739 

• Fair: 580-669

• Poor: 579 or less

FICO also has consumer credit scores tailored to different industries, such as auto and mortgage lending. These industry-specific scores range from 250 to 900, but the same range of 670 to 739 is still considered good.

According to VantageScore, a good credit score falls between 661 and 780. For VantageScore 3.0 and 4.0, the highest credit score is 850. VantageScore breaks its scores into four groups and uses credit ranges and category names different from those of FICO:

• Superprime: 781-850

• Prime: 661-780

• Near prime: 601-660 

• Subprime: 300-600

FICO and VantageScore use similar factors to calculate credit scores—even if they don’t always use the same terminology. Here are a few factors found in credit reports that typically impact credit scores:

1. Payment history: This factor looks at whether you’ve paid your past and current credit accounts on time. It’s typically the most influential part of your score.

2. Debt and credit utilization: This measures how much you owe and how much you owe compared with your available credit limits. FICO calls it “amounts owed.” VantageScore accounts for debt in multiple categories: “balances” and “available credit.”

3. Credit age: Scoring models look at the length of your credit history, including how long your accounts have been open, to see how you’ve managed credit over time. VantageScore typically combines this factor with your credit mix and calls it “depth of credit.”

4. Credit mix: Showing you can successfully manage different types of credit (revolving credit and installment loans) is good for your credit scores. Remember, VantageScore groups this factor with credit age and calls it “depth of credit.”

5. New credit applications: Applying for a new credit card or loan usually triggers a hard inquiry on your credit reports, which can temporarily lower your score. VantageScore refers to this activity as “recent credit.”

But FICO and VantageScore weigh factors differently, and the weight can vary based on the credit-scoring model.

• Payment history: 35%

• Amounts owed: 30%

• Length of credit history: 15%

• Credit mix: 10%

• New credit accounts: 10%

• Payment history: 40%

• Depth of credit: 21%

• Credit utilization: 20%

• Recent credit: 5%

• Balances: 11%

• Available credit: 3%

• Payment history: 41%

• Depth of credit: 20%

• Credit utilization: 20%

• Recent credit: 11%

• Balances: 6%

• Available credit: 2%

Most credit-scoring models don’t consider certain information unless it’s part of your credit report. And even then, some parts of your credit report won’t impact your scores. 

Credit-scoring models generally don’t consider:

• Your age, race, nationality, sex, gender or marital status

• Where you live and work

• Your income, your job or whether you’re employed 

• Whether you receive public assistance

• Political or religious affiliations 

• The interest rates on your credit accounts

• Soft credit inquiries

Closed and paid-off accounts will stay on your credit reports and can continue to impact your scores until they fall off.

Because credit scores are based on information in your credit reports, higher scores are a sign of a healthy financial history. And that can be the key to enjoying benefits like:

• Lower interest rates on mortgages, credit cards and other loans

• Higher credit limits

• Lower insurance premiums

• Fewer up-front costs on utilities, cell phones and more

The benefits could extend beyond borrowing and expenses and mean more housing and job opportunities too.

Building and maintaining good credit scores comes down to using credit responsibly over time. Here are some things the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says you can do:

• Pay your bills on time. Consider setting up automatic payments or electronic reminders to help you remember to make on-time payments.

• Stay below your credit limit. Experts recommend keeping your credit use below 30% of your available credit across all your credit card accounts.

• Apply only for the credit you need. If you apply for multiple credit cards and loans over a short period, credit card issuers and other lenders may see it as a red flag.

Check your credit reports for errors. Monitoring your credit can help you detect fraud and track your progress as you build credit. One tool that can help is CreditWise from Capital One. It’s free to use—even if you don’t have a Capital One credit card. And using CreditWise won’t affect your credit scores. You can also get free copies of your credit reports by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com.

Many credit card issuers offer cards for those with good credit scores. And Capital One is no different.

Here are three popular Capital One credit cards for applicants with good credit:

• Savor for Good Credit: Earn unlimited 3% back at grocery stores and on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% cash back on all other purchases.

• Quicksilver for Good Credit: Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day.

• VentureOne for Good Credit: Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day.

Because credit history is a key factor impacting credit scores, older individuals tend to have higher credit scores. Here’s a breakdown of average credit scores by age, according to 2024 data from Experian:

What’s considered a good credit score may vary among scoring companies and lenders. FICO says scores between 670 and 739 are good. And VantageScore says the equivalent, which it calls prime scores, falls between 661 and 780.

You can compare cards from Capital One and find out which cards you might qualify for with pre-approval. It’s quick, only requires some basic info and won’t hurt your credit scores.