On this page
- What mortgage rate can you get with an 800 credit score?
- How an 800 credit score lowers your mortgage rate
- 800 vs. 780 vs. 740 vs. 700 credit score mortgage rates
- Other things that set your rate
- How to get the lowest rate with an 800 credit score
- 800 credit score mortgage FAQ
- Next step: compare quotes
Neither Fannie Mae’s pricing grid nor FICO’s national averages give a separate 800 credit score mortgage rate. Instead, an 800 score puts you in the top credit tier, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac price every score of 780 or higher the same in their credit fee grids. Your actual rate still depends on your down payment, loan type, points and the lender you pick.
What mortgage rate can you get with an 800 credit score?
Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.18% on November 5, 2026, up from 6.22% a year earlier. Freddie Mac’s PMMS methodology covers conventional, conforming purchase loans for owner-occupied, one-unit homes. It selects borrowers with 20% down and excellent credit, which its published criteria define as an origination FICO score of 740 or higher and a loan-to-value ratio of 75% to 80%. So the average already reflects strong borrowers. Also, you can track the weekly figure on our current mortgage interest rates page.
FICO also publishes national averages by score band. In its Loan Savings Calculator, for example, the 780+ band showed 7.14% for a 30-year fixed loan, with rates as of November 9, 2026. Specifically, FICO’s figures come from Curinos data and assume 80% loan-to-value (LTV) on an owner-occupied single-family home.
In practice, an 800 score means:
- You reach the top credit tier in the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fee grids, the same as a 780.
- A score of 820 or 850 does not lower the Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac credit fee further.
- Your quote can still land above or below the averages, because other factors move it.
How an 800 credit score lowers your mortgage rate
When a lender sells a conventional loan to Fannie Mae, Fannie Mae charges the lender a loan-level price adjustment (LLPA) based on the loan’s risk. In other words, an LLPA is a one-time fee stated as a percentage of the loan amount, so 1% equals one point. A lender can pass it on to you, either as a charge at closing or as a higher interest rate.
Credit score and LTV together set the main LLPA grid. Fannie Mae’s LLPA Matrix (last updated 09/30/26) sets its top band at 780 and above. For example, below are its purchase-loan LLPAs at 75.01%–80% LTV for terms over 15 years. The dollar amounts assume a $400,000 loan, which is a $500,000 purchase with 20% down.
| Credit score | LLPA at 75.01%–80% LTV | LLPA in dollars on a $400,000 loan |
|---|---|---|
| 780 and above (includes 800) | 0.375% | $1,500 |
| 760–779 | 0.625% | $2,500 |
| 740–759 | 0.875% | $3,500 |
| 720–739 | 1.250% | $5,000 |
| 700–719 | 1.375% | $5,500 |
| 680–699 | 1.750% | $7,000 |
The 780+ row is the lowest, or tied for lowest, in every LTV column of the purchase table. However, the gap shrinks with a bigger down payment. At 60% LTV or less, every band from 640 up pays 0%, so score matters less when you put 40% or more down.
Which score the lender uses
Your lender may not use the score you see in a banking app. According to the CFPB, your score can differ by credit reporting company, and lenders use different scores for different types of loans. Under the Fannie Mae Selling Guide (B3-5.1-02), the lender takes the middle of your three scores. In addition, with a co-borrower, the lowest of the borrowers’ scores sets the price. Thus, an 800 borrower with a 715 co-borrower lands in the 700–719 band.
800 vs. 780 vs. 740 vs. 700 credit score mortgage rates
The table below compares FICO’s national averages as of November 9, 2026, for a 30-year fixed loan of $300,000. The payment covers principal and interest only, so it excludes property taxes, homeowners insurance and mortgage insurance.
| FICO band | Average rate | Monthly principal and interest | Total interest over 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 780+ (includes 800 and 820) | 7.14% | $2,024 | $428,708 |
| 760+ | 7.24% | $2,044 | $436,016 |
| 740+ | 7.32% | $2,061 | $441,884 |
| 700+ | 7.52% | $2,102 | $456,630 |
Here is what changes as you move down the bands:
- 800 vs. 780: Nothing. Both fall in the same top band in FICO’s data and in Fannie Mae’s matrix.
- 800 vs. 740: FICO’s average is 0.18 percentage point higher for the 740 band. In other words, that is $37 more a month and $13,176 more interest over the full term.
- 800 vs. 700: The 700 band averages 0.38 point higher. As a result, it pays $78 more a month and $27,922 more in interest over 30 years.
These are averages, so they do not predict a given lender’s quote. Still, the pattern lines up with Fannie Mae’s LLPAs: once you reach 780, more points on your score stop paying off.
Other things that set your rate
Your 800 credit score mortgage rate also depends on the loan itself. Fannie Mae’s LLPAs stack, so each feature below can add cost on top of the credit score fee. Again, the figures come from the same matrix, for purchase loans at 75.01%–80% LTV.
- Down payment. For a 780+ borrower, the credit score LLPA is 0% at 75% LTV or less and 0.375% at 75.01%–80%.
- Occupancy. A second home or investment property adds 3.375%.
- Property type. An attached condo unit adds 0.750%, and a two- to four-unit home adds 0.625%.
- Loan amount. A fixed-rate high-balance loan (above the baseline conforming limit, in a high-cost area) adds 1.000%.
- Cash-out refinance. The 780+ band pays 1.375% at 75.01%–80% LTV, compared with 0.375% on a purchase.
- Debt-to-income ratio (DTI). DTI affects approval, but Fannie Mae removed its DTI-based LLPAs in 2023.
FHA and VA loans
Fannie Mae’s LLPAs do not apply to FHA or VA loans. In addition, FHA’s annual mortgage insurance premium depends on loan amount, LTV and term, not credit score (HUD Handbook 4000.1, Appendix 1.0). Similarly, the VA funding fee depends on the loan type, the loan amount, your down payment and whether you have used a VA loan before, not on your credit score. Lenders can still set their own score adjustments on these loans. With 20% down, an FHA loan still carries upfront and annual mortgage insurance, while a conventional loan has none. So compare the total cost of each quote.
How to get the lowest rate with an 800 credit score
A top score gets you the lowest Fannie Mae credit fee. Even so, lenders set their own margins, so quotes for the same borrower can differ.
- Get quotes from at least three lenders on the same day. Rates move daily, so same-day quotes compare cleanly. Also, according to the CFPB, mortgage inquiries within 14 to 45 days of each other generally count as one inquiry for scoring.
- Ask each lender for the same loan amount, down payment and points. Otherwise, one quote can look cheaper only because it includes more points.
- Compare Loan Estimates line by line. In particular, check the rate, the points in Section A and the APR. See our guide to APR vs. interest rate for why the APR helps.
- Decide on points. Because your score is already high, you may get a low rate without points. If you buy points, check how long the lower payment takes to repay them.
- Time your rate lock. The CFPB notes that a locked rate can still change if your credit score changes. So avoid new credit until closing, and read our guide to the mortgage rate lock before you commit.
Mortgage insurance with an 800 score
With less than 20% down, a conventional loan generally needs PMI, and insurers price it by credit score and loan-to-value ratio. On Arch MI’s rate card effective Feb. 9, 2026, for example, the top score band is 760 and above, so an 800 score gets the lowest rate in every row. For a fixed-rate loan with 85.01% to 90% loan-to-value and standard 25% coverage, that band is 0.28% a year, compared with 0.65% for a 680 to 699 score. Rates differ by insurer and state. Read more on how much PMI costs.
800 credit score mortgage FAQ
Is 800 a good credit score for a mortgage?
Yes. FICO calls 800 and above “exceptional,” and Experian data shows 22.9% of U.S. consumers had a FICO Score 8 of 800 or higher as of June 2026. However, for pricing, any score of 780 or higher already reaches Fannie Mae’s top band. Our guide to the credit score to buy a house covers minimums by loan type.
Does 820 get a better rate than 800?
Usually not, because Fannie Mae puts every score of 780 or higher in one band, and FICO’s averages do the same. A lender could use its own grid, so ask each lender whether it prices above 780.
What is the average mortgage rate for an 800 credit score?
FICO’s calculator does not break out 800 alone. Its top band is 780+, which averaged 7.14% for a 30-year fixed loan as of November 9, 2026. Even so, your own quote depends on your down payment, points, property and lender.
Does a high credit score guarantee mortgage approval?
No. Lenders also review income, debts, assets and the property. Fannie Mae removed its 620 minimum score for loans underwritten in Desktop Underwriter in November 2025, but lenders can still set their own minimums. See how your credit score affects mortgage eligibility for more.
Next step: compare quotes
An 800 credit score mortgage rate gets the same Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac credit pricing as 780, so the rest of your savings comes from the loan structure and from shopping. Get three same-day Loan Estimates and compare them side by side.
