780 Credit Score (2024)

A 780 credit score is a very good credit score. In fact, 780 is classified as “excellent credit,” and having a credit score this high should qualify you for good terms on most loans, credit cards and other lines of credit.

Key Things to Know About a 780 Credit Score

• Credit Rating: 780 is an excellent credit score, which is even better than a good score. Many people consider excellent credit to be a score of 720+. But we actually recommend setting the bar a bit higher, at 750+, based on the approval rates we've seen for loans and lines of credit.
• Borrowing Options: Most borrowing options are available, and the terms are likely to be attractive. For example, you might be able to qualify for the best credit cards and the best personal loans.
• Best Way to Improve a 780 Credit Score: Reducing the credit utilization on your credit card accounts could quickly boost your score. You can also check out your WalletHub credit analysis for personalized tips.

Below, you can learn all about what you can and cannot do with a 780 credit score, the types of people who have 780 credit scores, and the steps you can take to go even higher.

What Does a 780 Credit Score Get You?

Not only do you have a good chance of qualifying for most financial products, but you’re also likely to get excellent terms when you borrow and elite perks from credit cards.

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Credit Cards with a 780 Credit Score

The best credit cards typically require good or excellent credit for approval, which means someone with a 780 credit score has a very good chance of qualifying. The trick is finding the right card for your needs.

You should compare credit cards with rewards if you plan to use your card for everyday purchases that you can pay off by the end of the month. If you’re planning big-ticket purchases or a balance transfer that will take months to pay down, compare credit cards with 0% introductory APR offers.

Popular Credit Cards for a 780 Credit Score

Car Loans with a 780 Credit Score

You should be able to get approved for a decent car loan with a 780 credit score, considering that roughly 80% of all auto loans go to people with credit scores below 780. Still, it’s important to compare your auto loan options carefully if you want to get a low APR.

Mortgages with a 780 Credit Score

Nearly 70% of first mortgages go to borrowers with credit scores below 780, so you should be able to finance your home purchase without issue.

Student Loans with a 780 Credit Score

Student loans are some of the easiest loans to get with a 780 credit score, seeing as roughly 90% of them are given to applicants with a credit score below 780. A new degree may also make it easier to repay the loan if it leads to more income.

Note: Borrower percentages above reflect 2022 Equifax data.

How to Get a 780 Credit Score

You can find specific recommendations on your personalized credit analysis page. Below, you can check out some of the most common steps people need to take to get a credit score of 780.

1. Always Pay Your Bills on Time: Payment history is the most important part of any credit score because it directly answers the question of whether a lender can expect to get its money back from you. Missed payments are the trademark of a risky borrower, indicating irresponsibility and potential financial distress. So it’s important to have as few as possible on your credit report and to surround any that do appear with lots of months where you pay by the due date.
   You can find some strategies that may come in handy in WalletHub’s guide to never missing due dates.
2. Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt: Credit card debt is extremely costly, and we collectively owe way too much of it right now. Having a lot of debt puts pressure on your finances, making missed payments more likely. It also makes you a riskier candidate to borrow because you will have less income and fewer assets available to afford a new loan or line of credit. And that is exactly what credit scores measure.
   Paying off credit card debt will also reduce your credit utilization, which is a key ingredient in your credit score. You get a better idea of how exactly to go about this from WalletHub’s guide on paying off credit card debt.
3. Take Advantage of Free Credit Monitoring: You don’t want fraud or credit report errors to derail your pursuit of a 780 credit score. And while free credit monitoring won’t prevent such things from happening, it will make sure you know about them immediately. And that will give you the chance to sort out any problems before they do much, if any, damage.
   On that note, you should probably review your latest credit report for anything fishy, too, just to be safe.

There’s no secret to getting a 780 credit score. Rather, it simply requires consistency and commitment. You need to pay your bills on time, use only a portion of the credit made available to you, and generally work to make any mistakes you’ve made look like freak occurrences rather than standard practice.

You also need to know exactly where you’re starting from and then actually track your progress over time to hold yourself accountable. So make sure to regularly check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub as you work your way to a 780 credit score and beyond.

How to Improve Your Credit Score From 780 to 800+

A credit score of 780 is on the brink of perfection, and you probably won’t have to change much to join the 800+ credit score club. Your personalized credit analysis from WalletHub will tell you what needs improvement and exactly how to fix it.

Get Your Personalized Credit Analysis – 100% Free

A few things in particular tend to stand between a credit score of 780 and perfect credit, though. And if you do nothing else, make sure to take the following steps.

1. Reduce Your Credit Utilization: People with credit scores in the 800s use less than 5% of their available credit, according to VantageScore, while people with scores from 701 to 750 have 27% credit utilization. You definitely want to keep your credit utilization below 30% on all of your credit card accounts. And the lower it is, the better.
   There are a few ways to improve your credit utilization. You can charge less to your credit cards. You can make bigger monthly payments, if you don’t always pay in full already. You can also pay your bill multiple times per month to reduce the balance listed on your monthly statement, which is what’s used to calculate credit utilization.
2. Pay Down Debt: The average American household has roughly $8,000 in credit card debt. That type of burden can quickly become unmanageable, leading to missed payments, default, collections accounts and other types of negative information being added to your credit report. So the more debt you have relative to your income, the riskier you’ll seem to lenders. And since that’s exactly what a credit score measures, paying off amounts owed generally leads to credit score gains.
3. Avoid Hard Inquiries: Each time you apply for a loan or line of credit, there’s a “hard inquiry” on your credit report, when the lender reviews your credit history to see if you qualify. That hard inquiry can lower your credit score slightly for about six months. So if an 850 credit score is your aim, take note that applying for credit could affect your timeline.

Of course, you’ll also need to pay all your bills on time every month and otherwise manage your finances responsibly if you want to maintain your 780 credit score, let alone improve it. You can track your progress for free on WalletHub, the only site with free credit scores and reports that are updated everyday.

Top 10 Resources for a 780 Credit Score

1. What Is a Perfect Credit Score & How Do You Get One?
2. What Is a Good Credit Score?
3. Free Credit Score Simulator
4. 24/7 Free Credit Monitoring
5. How To Improve Your Credit Utilization
6. Best Debt Consolidation Loans
7. What’s Included in Your Credit Report & When Does It Get Updated?
8. Why Did My Credit Score Drop? Top 10 Causes
9. How To Pay Off Credit Card Debt: The Best Way & Tips
10. Why On-Time Bill Payments Are Important & How To Never Miss A Due Date

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