# Minimum Credit Score for a Mortgage: 2026 Loan Guide

By Joe Bixler (@joebixler) · Published 2026-09-29

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The minimum credit score to get a mortgage in 2026 ranges from **500 for an FHA loan** up to **640 for the best USDA and VA pricing** ([Mortgage Research Network](https://www.mortgageresearch.com/articles/usda-loan-minimum-credit-score-requirements)) — but qualifying and getting a good rate are two different things. As a loan officer, I see borrowers obsess over "making the minimum" when the score that unlocks the cheapest loan is often 100 points higher.

#### Key Takeaways

-   FHA loans accept a minimum credit score of 500, with a 580 score unlocking the standard 3.5% down payment.
-   Conventional (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac) loans require a 620 minimum for manually underwritten mortgages, and DU underwriting no longer sets a fixed minimum.
-   USDA and VA are set by lenders, not the government — 640 is the common auto-approval threshold, though many lenders go lower.
-   A score of 740 or higher clears the loan-level price adjustment hurdles that keep your interest rate down.
-   Qualifying for a loan and getting the best rate are different: the minimum gets you in, a higher score gets you a better deal.

## How much credit do you need for each loan type?

The score you need depends entirely on which loan program you use. Government-backed loans accept lower scores, while conventional loans are stricter — but each has its own quirks you should know before you apply.

![Credit report and scoring documents on a desk](https://convex.voce.com/api/storage/0ac15206-8f22-4b18-91b2-ca9ece3a1920)

**FHA:** The Federal Housing Administration accepts a **minimum score of 500**, but that minimum only works with a 10% down payment. Borrowers with a score of **580 or higher** can use the standard 3.5% down payment that makes FHA so popular with first-time buyers ([Mortgage Research Network](https://www.mortgageresearch.com/articles/usda-loan-minimum-credit-score-requirements)).

**Conventional:** Fannie Mae's manual underwriting floor is **620** — plan around that number when you apply (its Desktop Underwriter system, which most lenders use, no longer applies a fixed minimum and instead evaluates risk directly from your credit report). In practice, most lenders still want to see at least 620 on a conventional loan ([Fannie Mae](https://www.fanniemae.com/content/guide/selling/b3/5.1/01.html)).

**VA and USDA:** Neither the VA nor the USDA sets a hard minimum — that decision is left to individual lenders. The **640 score** is the common line for computer-generated auto-approval: it's the threshold for the USDA's Guaranteed Underwriting System and for manual underwriting on many VA loans ([Rocket Mortgage](https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/va-loan-credit-score)). Many lenders will go lower, with scores of 580–620 routinely accepted.

## Why a higher score means a lower rate

Getting approved and getting the best rate are two different goals. The minimum score gets you in the door, but **every 20-point drop below 740 raises the loan-level price adjustment** — the fee Fannie Mae charges based on your credit score and down payment ([Fannie Mae LLPA Matrix](https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/media/9391/display)). That cost lands in your rate or your closing costs.

On a conventional purchase with a 75–80% loan-to-value ratio, a borrower at **720–739 pays a 1.25% adjustment**, while the same loan at **740–759 drops to 0.875%** — a meaningful gap that a difference of a few points can create. Push to **760 or higher** and the adjustment falls to 0.625%, which is why I tell buyers to hold off on locking a rate until their score clears that tier.

**Pro Tip**

If you're within arm's reach of a pricing tier, ask about rapid rescoring — a lender can submit recent credit changes to the bureaus and your score may update in days, not months. It works only when there's a real change to report, but it's saved many of my buyers thousands in rate cost.

## The bottom line for homebuyers

Your first move is to check your actual mortgage FICO score. Lenders pull a three-bureau merged report scored on **Equifax Beacon 5.0, Experian/Fair Isaac Risk Model V2, and TransUnion FICO Classic 04** ([Fannie Mae](https://www.fanniemae.com/content/guide/selling/b3/5.1/01.html)) — three older models that frequently score lower than the consumer score in your banking app.

If your score lands in a specific range, here's the practical path: **500–579** means FHA with a 10% down payment. **580+** opens FHA with 3.5% down. At **620**, conventional and USDA become realistic with a lender willing to look at your full file. At **639 and below**, you have a real choice to weigh — take FHA now at 3.5% down with mortgage insurance, or spend a few months repairing credit to reach conventional and avoid that insurance altogether. Above **740**, you're past the pricing tiers that matter most, and the goal becomes protecting the score until closing.

Every borrower's situation differs, so a quote from a loan officer beats a generic rule. I'm happy to look at your actual numbers and tell you which loan — and which score target — unlocks the best deal for your budget.