What Is the Highest Credit Score?

5 Min Read | Last updated: December 15, 2023

A woman sits at a desk, focused on her open laptop, exploring information about the highest credit score.

This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.

By both FICO and VantageScore standards, the highest credit score is 850. See how a high credit score can benefit you and what goes into a perfect score.

At-A-Glance

A strong credit score is one factor that could help you to obtain more favorable interest rates and loan terms.
A perfect credit score is achievable, though only a small percentage of Americans do so at any given time.
Getting – and maintaining – the highest possible credit score requires adhering to several important financial best practices.

In the world of credit scores, the pursuit of perfection is represented by the three-digit number reflecting the highest credit score you can have. Maximizing your credit score is a possible and notable achievement. But having the highest possible score can be hard to maintain – and may not even be necessary. In fact, just having an excellent score can be just as beneficial in most situations.

Still, depending on your financial goals, having a high credit score can be a great goal and one that’s worth pursuing. Read on to learn why aiming for the highest credit score can benefit your finances, plus what factors you’ll need to focus on to attain perfection.

How Getting the Highest Credit Score Possible Can Benefit You

The higher your credit score, the more a lender trusts your ability to repay them. Some lenders will only work with people with high credit scores – think 700 or better. Since this, in turn, implies less risk, the more likely the lender will be to offer larger loan amounts. What’s more, higher credit scores are one factor that could help you to qualify for lower interest rates and more favorable loan terms. Think about the amount of savings that could equate to a mortgage, car loan, personal loan, or student loan – as much as tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the principal amount.

Maintaining the Highest Credit Score Can Be Challenging

Is a perfect credit score attainable? Yes. Is an ideal credit score sustainable? Not so much. But that’s okay.

Here’s why. A credit score acts as a financial snapshot of a current timeframe; thus, it can change from day to day. While your goal may be set on reaching the highest score possible, establishing an excellent credit score will provide similar access to the best loan rates, terms, and credit limits as well. In most cases, having a score of at least 760 is enough to put you in the same range of rates as those with perfect scores.¹ The average FICO score was 714 as of 2022.²

What Factors Make Up a High Credit Score?

It’s important to understand what factors go into calculating a score so you can get and maintain the highest credit score you can. FICO and VantageScore each factor in roughly the same categories of information. These include:

1. Payment history: If you’re chasing perfection, avoid missing or making a late payment. Utilizing autopay or setting reminders on your phone can help ensure you never miss a minimum payment on or before its due date.

2. Amounts owed: How much of your available credit is in use? Having credit accounts and owing money on them doesn’t necessarily mean you are a high-risk borrower, but if you are using a significant amount of your available credit, this could be a sign that you’re overextended and may impact your credit score.³

3. Length of credit history: Have an old credit card with a zero balance? Consider keeping it open. Closing it can shorten your credit history– a key component of your credit score – and reduce your credit utilization rate. Consider using credit cards of this nature for small recurring autopayments – like for a streaming service – to prevent account closure due to inactivity.

4. Types of credit used: Is your debt only comprised of credit cards, or does it include a combination of installment loans, real estate, credit cards, and more? A diverse credit mix indicates your ability to manage different forms of debt – a plus in the eyes of credit scoring agencies and lenders.

A thought worth considering: You’ll probably feel a sense of accomplishment and relief when you pay off a loan – and you should enjoy that feeling – but it reduces your credit mix (and sometimes the length of your credit history). Therefore, it can briefly lower your credit score by a few points.

5. New credit accounts: When you apply for a new line of credit, such as a credit card or loan, the lender will make a “hard inquiry” into your credit history. Hard inquiries can lower your credit score by a few points – and the more credit you apply for, the greater the impact on your score. These inquiries can stay on your credit report for up to two years, but their impact lessens over time.

However, shopping around for a loan or line of credit within 14 to 45 days can lessen the impact on your credit score since some credit scoring models count multiple loan requests made within a short window as a single hard inquiry.⁴

The Takeaway

The highest credit score you can get is 850. While landing that 850 credit score can be gratifying, it’s not a requirement to qualify for the best rates and terms when applying for new credit. However, the steps you take in your pursuit of excellence will likely help you maintain the highest credit score for your personal goals – which may be enough to qualify for the same lower interest rates and better loan terms as those who hit that elusive 850.

¹ “Is a 760 Credit Score Good or Bad?,” Time Magazine

² “What Is the Average Credit Score in the U.S.?,” Experian

³ “What’s in my FICO^® Scores?,” myFICO

⁴ “Will Multiple Loan Applications Hurt My Credit Score?,” The Balance

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Michael Grace is a personal finance and technology freelance writer based in New York.

All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.

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