Which credit score do mortgage lenders actually use?

The short answer

A mortgage specific FICO score from all three bureaus. Lenders use the middle score, and for joint applicants the lower of the two middles.

5 min read

Why your app shows a different number

Free consumer apps usually display a VantageScore or a general purpose FICO. Mortgage underwriting uses older, mortgage specific FICO models that weight certain items differently.

A gap of twenty to forty points between an app and a mortgage pull is common and does not mean anything is wrong. Treat the app as a trend line, not a verdict.

How the score is selected

Three bureaus produce three scores. Your qualifying score is the middle one. If you apply with someone else, the qualifying score is the lower of your two middle scores.

That single rule explains a great deal. Sometimes the strongest move is applying with one borrower rather than two, and sometimes it is spending sixty days repairing one report.

Corie Adams Lending Team

Corie Adams
Producing Branch Manager · NMLS #1875205
Network Funding, LP · NMLS ID #2297

Equal Housing Opportunity Lender
Mortgage Solutions
Company
Borrower Resources

Disclaimers, assumptions, and state licenses

Corie Adams Lending Team is a branch of Network Funding, LP. Network Funding, LP, NMLS ID #2297, is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender. Licensing and state disclosures are available through Disclosures & Licensing and NMLS Consumer Access (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). This website is not a commitment to lend. Rates, programs, payments, and qualification requirements are subject to change without notice and may vary based on individual circumstances.

© 2026 Corie Adams Lending Team · Network Funding, LP. All rights reserved.

Payment examples shown on this site are illustrative only.