Typically, at 20 years old you are still at the beginning of your credit journey so the expected score would be somewhere in the fair to good credit score range. Your first credit card or even an auto loan might be attainable. This is a time in your life when you will make financial choices aimed at building credit. Length of credit history makes up 10% of your FICO score so the older you get, the more your score is likely to rise.
According to Experian® data, the average American credit score for the age group 18-24 was 679 as of September 2022. This falls in the good FICO® credit score range (670-739). But there is no ideal or exact credit score you must have as soon as you turn 20 since everyone’s financial journey is different.
Some people get an early start on their credit journey by becoming authorized users on their parents’ card(s) or getting secured credit cards and credit builder loans. Other ways to ensure your scores don’t drop are by making on-time payments every time, keeping your credit utilization low, and applying for different types of credit accounts (like auto loans or other installment loans) to improve your credit mix.
