There is no single minimum credit score that applies to every mortgage. The number depends on the loan program, the investor that will own or guarantee the loan, the underwriting route (automated or manual), and any stricter requirement imposed by the lender. A published threshold is a starting condition—not an approval promise.
For example, Fannie Mae’s current guide lists 620 for manually underwritten fixed-rate loans and 640 for manually underwritten adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), while its Desktop Underwriter (DU) process does not require a stated minimum score. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sets no agency minimum, although participating lenders may set their own. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) policy permits 580 or higher and may permit scores as low as 500 when the borrower has at least 10% equity, subject to the dated HUD policy and the lender’s rules.
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What “minimum credit score” actually means
A minimum credit score is a threshold attached to a particular decision path. It may come from:
- A government or agency program: such as FHA or VA eligibility rules.
- An investor’s underwriting guide: for example, Fannie Mae requirements for loans delivered to Fannie Mae.
- An automated underwriting system: which evaluates the complete file and may not use a single published score floor.
- A lender overlay: the lender’s own stricter requirement layered over the applicable program or investor baseline.
Those sources can produce different answers for the same borrower. Asking only “What score do I need?” leaves out the program, score model, underwriting method and lender policy that give the number meaning.
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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) puts the role of the score in context: “Your credit score is only one component of your mortgage lender’s decision, but it’s an important one.” A score can affect eligibility, pricing, required documentation and the lender’s willingness to approve a file, but it does not replace an assessment of the entire application.
Published score thresholds by mortgage path
The figures below are tied to the specific policies and dates identified by the agencies. They are not universal promises that every lender will accept an applicant at the stated score.
| Mortgage path | Published score rule | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Fannie Mae manual underwriting, fixed-rate | 620 | Fannie Mae Selling Guide minimum for the described manually underwritten fixed-rate path, published April 22, 2026. |
| Fannie Mae manual underwriting, ARM | 640 | Fannie Mae Selling Guide minimum for the described manually underwritten adjustable-rate path, published April 22, 2026. |
| Fannie Mae Desktop Underwriter (DU) casefile | No stated minimum | Fannie Mae says DU assesses creditworthiness through its risk factors rather than requiring a stated minimum third-party score. Other eligibility requirements still apply. |
| VA-backed loan | No VA-imposed minimum | VA says some lenders impose their own score requirement, so a borrower may receive different answers from different lenders. |
| FHA policy | 580 or higher | HUD’s April 2025 FHA Outlook states this policy level. A lender may apply additional requirements. |
| FHA policy with at least 10% equity | As low as 500 | HUD’s April 2025 FHA Outlook says scores as low as 500 may be permitted when the equity position is at least 10%. |
Fannie Mae’s numbers apply to loans delivered to Fannie Mae and to the underwriting paths specified in its Selling Guide. They should not be rewritten as “you need 620 for a conventional loan.” A lender using DU, another investor’s guide or a different underwriting approach may reach a different result.
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Manual underwriting
In manual underwriting, an underwriter reviews the file against stated eligibility rules and documents the compensating factors and risks. Fannie Mae’s guide specifies 620 for manually underwritten fixed-rate loans and 640 for manually underwritten ARMs. The score is only one condition; the guide also considers items such as loan-to-value ratio, transaction purpose, number of units, amortization and debt-to-income ratio.
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Desktop Underwriter
For a Fannie Mae DU casefile, Fannie Mae states that a minimum credit score is not required. DU analyzes the borrower’s credit and the other data in the file to produce an underwriting recommendation. “No stated minimum” does not mean that any score will be approved, nor does it waive requirements for income, debts, assets, property and documentation. It means the system’s risk assessment, rather than one published cutoff, drives the recommendation.
Why the same score can lead to different outcomes
Two borrowers with an identical score can receive different results because their debt ratios, down payments, reserves, credit histories, loan purposes, properties or documentation differ. Conversely, a borrower below a lender’s preferred marketing threshold may qualify through a program or automated path that the lender actually offers. The only reliable way to know which rule is being applied is to ask the lender to identify the program and underwriting route.
Which credit score does a mortgage lender use?
A consumer credit app may display a score that is not the score selected for mortgage underwriting. Mortgage files can contain scores from multiple bureaus and models, and the applicable guide determines how the representative score is chosen.
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Fannie Mae’s score-selection method
Fannie Mae recommends obtaining at least two scores for each borrower. If there are two scores, the lower score is selected. If there are three, the middle score is selected. In certain manual-underwriting eligibility decisions involving multiple borrowers, an average median score can apply. These rules mean that a score shown in a consumer app is not automatically the score used in the mortgage file.
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Questions to ask about the model
- Which credit bureaus and score model will be used?
- How many scores will be obtained for each borrower?
- With two or three scores, which selection rule applies?
- Does the underwriting system use a representative score for each borrower or an average for a multi-borrower decision?
Ask for the answer before assuming that paying down a particular account will move the mortgage score in the same way it moves an app’s displayed score.
What VA’s no-minimum policy means in practice
The VA says it does not require a minimum credit score, while also warning that some lenders do. That is the clearest example of an agency rule and a lender overlay operating at the same time. One lender might set a score floor for its VA products; another might evaluate the same applicant under a different internal policy.
VA guidance encourages applicants to contact more than one lender. Comparison is therefore a practical part of qualification, not merely a way to negotiate an interest rate. Ask each lender whether its score floor is an internal overlay, whether it varies by loan type, and whether a different underwriting route is available.
How FHA score rules should be read
Current policy figures
HUD’s April 2025 FHA Outlook states that FHA policy permits scores of 580 and above and may permit scores as low as 500 when the borrower has an equity position of at least 10%. These are FHA policy figures, not a guarantee that every FHA lender will accept every file at those scores. A lender can apply an overlay or decline the application for other underwriting reasons.
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FHA model change scheduled for 2027
On October 8, 2026, HUD announced that VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 10T will become eligible models for FHA Title II case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2027, alongside Classic FICO. As of October 17, 2026, the announcement is future-dated: HUD said existing policies remain in effect until amended. The effective date applies to the case-number assignment, so ask the lender which model and policy apply to your particular FHA file.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Score qualification is not loan approval
Meeting a published score floor only clears one gate. The lender still evaluates the complete application, including:
- Verified income and employment history
- Monthly debts and debt-to-income ratios
- Assets, down payment and required reserves
- Recent payment history, account types and other credit-history details
- Loan amount, loan-to-value ratio, occupancy, purpose and property characteristics
- Required documentation and the findings of the applicable underwriting system
A lender can deny or condition a file above the stated minimum, while another lender may approve a similar file through a different program or underwriting path. Raising a score can strengthen an application, but no fixed score increase guarantees approval or a lower interest rate.
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- Name the program. Ask whether the file is being considered for a Fannie Mae conventional loan, FHA, VA or another program. Do not accept “conventional” as the complete answer.
- Identify the underwriting route. Ask whether the lender will run DU or another automated system, or manually underwrite the loan. For Fannie Mae, this distinction changes whether a stated score minimum appears in the guide.
- Confirm the score model and selection rule. Ask which bureaus and model are used, how two or three scores are selected, and how scores are handled when there are multiple borrowers.
- Separate the baseline from the overlay. Ask, “Is this score requirement set by the agency or investor, or is it your company’s policy?” Request the lender’s explanation if its number is higher than the program’s published rule.
- Ask what else is limiting the file. Have the lender identify the debt ratio, down payment, reserves, property, income documentation or credit-history issue that affects the decision.
- Compare another lender. Apply the same questions to at least one other lender, especially for a VA loan or any file near a stated threshold.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Treating 620 as the universal conventional cutoff
620 is the Fannie Mae manual-underwriting minimum for fixed-rate loans in the cited guide, not a universal conventional requirement. It does not describe DU casefiles, manually underwritten ARMs or every investor’s policy.
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Assuming “no minimum” means “no credit review”
DU’s lack of a stated minimum still involves a credit-risk assessment. VA’s lack of an agency minimum still allows lender overlays. In both cases, the rest of the file remains decisive.
Using an app score as the underwriting score
Mortgage score selection can use different models and bureau combinations. Obtain the lender’s qualifying report and ask how the representative score was selected instead of planning around a single consumer-app number.
Ignoring the date attached to a rule
FHA’s additional score models are announced for Title II case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2027. Until HUD amends existing policy, the current rules continue. Always ask which policy version applies on the date your case number is assigned.
Stopping after one lender says no
A denial may reflect an overlay or a particular underwriting route rather than a universal program prohibition. A second lender can evaluate the same facts under a different overlay or available path, although no lender is required to approve the application.
A practical way to think about your score
Use the score as a screening question, not a verdict. First determine the program and underwriting route; then determine the model and representative-score rule; then ask about overlays and the rest of the application. This sequence prevents a program figure from being mistaken for a promise and gives you specific questions to take to lenders.
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