When a mortgage lender pulls your credit from all three bureaus, you get three scores, and the lender uses the middle one. It does not use the highest, and it does not average them.
This rule comes from Fannie Mae's Selling Guide, and the CFPB describes the same practice. The details change when a bureau has no score for you, or when more than one person is on the loan.
Likely lender score
The middle of your three scores
731
How the middle score works
A mortgage lender pulls one report from Experian, one from Equifax and one from TransUnion. Each produces a score, usually from the mortgage versions of FICO (FICO Score 2, 5 and 4, per myFICO).
The lender lines up the three scores and takes the one in the middle. For example, if your scores are 700, 720 and 740, your middle score is 720. If two scores are the same, such as 700, 720 and 720, the middle score is 720.
The CFPB notes that lenders use this middle score when deciding what rate to offer you.
When you have only two scores
Sometimes a bureau does not return a score for you. Fannie Mae sets out what the lender does, and it recommends getting at least two credit scores for each borrower.
| Scores available | Score the lender uses |
|---|---|
| Three | The middle score |
| Two | The lower of the two |
With two scores, there is no middle, so the lower one counts. A missing score can work against you if your remaining two are far apart.
Applying with a co-borrower
When more than one person is on the loan, the lender first finds the score for each borrower using the rules above. Then, under Fannie Mae's rules, it selects the lowest of those scores for the group.
For example, if your middle score is 760 and your co-borrower's middle score is 680, the score used for the loan is 680. Adding a borrower with a lower score can change the number the lender works with.
If one borrower has no credit score at all, Fannie Mae says the lender uses the other borrowers' scores. Ask your lender how it applies these rules to your loan.
The average median score exception
Certain manually underwritten Fannie Mae loans use an average median score instead of the lowest score to check whether the loan meets the minimum score. The lender takes each borrower's middle score and averages them.
Fannie Mae's own example: if one borrower's middle score is 605 and the other's is 693, the average median score is (605 + 693) / 2 = 649.
This exception applies only to certain loans. Ask your lender whether it applies to yours.
What this means before you apply
- Check all three reports, not just one. An error at one bureau can pull your middle score down.
- Look at your three scores together. The middle one is the number to plan around.
- If you are applying with someone, look at both of your middle scores. The lower one will usually be used.
- For Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans, the lender may use Classic FICO or VantageScore 4.0. The same model must be used for every borrower on the loan, per the FHFA.
- FHA, VA and USDA loans, and individual lenders, may apply their own rules. Ask your lender how it picks the score.
TRI shows all three bureau scores labeled by model, with your middle score marked.
Common questions
Do mortgage lenders average my three credit scores?
No, not in the standard case. They use the middle score. Certain manually underwritten Fannie Mae loans with more than one borrower use an average of the borrowers' middle scores.
What if only two bureaus have a score for me?
Under Fannie Mae's rules, the lender uses the lower of the two scores. Fannie Mae recommends getting at least two scores for each borrower.
Whose score counts when my spouse and I apply together?
Under Fannie Mae's rules, the lender finds each borrower's score and then uses the lowest one for the loan. If one of you has no score, the lender uses the other borrower's score.
Does the middle score rule apply to FHA and VA loans?
This guide covers Fannie Mae's rules. Other loan programs and individual lenders may apply their own rules, so ask your lender.
See the scores a lender will see
All three bureaus, each score labeled by model, and the middle score up front.
Get my scoresSources
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-5.1-02: Determining the Credit Score for a Mortgage Loan
- CFPB: Does my credit score affect my ability to get a mortgage?
- myFICO: FICO Score versions
- FHFA: Credit Scores
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules can change; check the linked sources and ask your lender about your situation.
