Best Personal Loans for Excellent Credit in 2025

NerdWallet’s guide to the best personal loans for excellent credit

Here’s what makes our picks for the best personal loans for excellent credit stand out:

LightStream: Best excellent-credit loans for fast funding

LightStream requires its borrowers to have a credit score of 660 or higher. The lender says it can approve qualified loan applicants within five minutes and can fund personal loans the same day they are approved if documents are signed by 2:30 p.m. E.T.

SoFi: Best excellent-credit loans for high loan amounts

SoFi doesn’t have a specific credit score requirement, but the lender says its average borrower has a 745 credit score. SoFi offers personal loans up to $100,000, which can cover major home renovations or other high borrowing needs. Most lenders cap their maximum loan amounts at $50,000.

Discover: Best excellent-credit loans for debt consolidation

Discover caters to good- and excellent-credit borrowers with a minimum credit score requirement of 660. The lender says its average borrower has a 750 credit score. One of the top reasons borrowers get a Discover personal loan is for debt consolidation. The lender sends loan proceeds directly to creditors, simplifying the consolidation process.

Citibank: Best loans for excellent credit and no fees

Citibank personal loans come with no origination or late fees. While the lender does not disclose any minimum credit score requirements, it reserves its lowest rates for those with excellent credit.

Wells Fargo: Best loans for excellent credit and rate discounts for existing customers

Wells Fargo offers rate discounts of up to 0.50 percentage points to existing customers with qualified checking accounts. The lender doesn’t disclose its credit score requirements, but says its lowest rates go to those with excellent credit.

First Tech: Best excellent-credit loans for small loan amounts

First Tech Credit Union requires a minimum credit score of 660. The average borrower has a 745 credit score, according to the lender. First Tech offers personal loans as low as $500, which is convenient for minor car repairs or other small expenses. Most lenders have minimum loan amounts of at least $1,000 or $2,000.

» MORE: Best personal loan lenders

What is an excellent-credit loan?

Excellent-credit personal loans are offered to borrowers with top-tier credit scores, typically above 720. Most personal loans are unsecured, which means you don’t have to put up any collateral, such as your car or house, to get the loan.

Borrowers with strong credit scores may have access to the lowest rates and largest amounts these lenders offer. If you have excellent credit, you may get your pick of many different lenders, so compare multiple lenders to find the right loan for you.

Excellent-credit personal loan rates

As with most credit products, the annual percentage rate you receive on a personal loan depends a lot on your credit score.

Borrowers with excellent credit tend to get the lowest rates for personal loans, meaning they will pay less interest over the life of the loan than borrowers with lower credit scores who receive higher APRs.

But your score isn’t the only factor affecting your personal loan APR: Your income, existing debts, requested repayment term and loan purpose can also affect your rate.

The interest rate affects your monthly loan payments, as does the term length — a longer loan term means lower monthly payments but more interest.

Use our personal loan calculator to see estimated rates, total interest costs and monthly payments for a personal loan.

Here is what interest rates on personal loans look like, on average:

Source: Average rates are based on aggregate, anonymized offer data from users who pre-qualified through NerdWallet from Dec. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024. Rates are estimates only and not specific to any lender. The lowest credit scores — usually below 500 — are unlikely to qualify. Information in this table applies only to lenders with maximum APRs below 36%.

Where to get excellent-credit personal loans

Excellent-credit borrowers can get personal loans from online lenders, banks and credit unions.

Excellent-credit personal loans from online lenders

Online lenders offer a streamlined application process and, typically, fast funding. Many online lenders have mobile apps so you can manage your loan right from your phone.

» MORE: Best online loans

Excellent-credit personal loans from banks

Banks that offer personal loans tend to cater to borrowers with excellent credit, and most offer lower interest rates than other lenders. If you have an existing account with the bank, you could also benefit from an easier application process and discounted rates. The downside is some banks require you to visit a branch to complete the loan application process.

» MORE: Top banks offering personal loans

Excellent-credit personal loans from credit unions

Federal credit unions cap interest rates at 18%, so excellent-credit borrowers are likely to receive low rates from these lenders. However, you typically have to be a member to get a personal loan from a credit union.

» MORE: Top credit unions for personal loans

Will a personal loan hurt my excellent credit score?

Most lenders perform a soft credit inquiry when you pre-qualify, followed by a hard check during the formal application process that can knock a few points off your credit score. Making on-time payments helps build credit if the lender reports your repayment activity to the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

A personal loan also diversifies your debt. According to FICO, credit mix contributes 10% toward the calculation of your total credit score.

» MORE: How personal loans affect credit scores

How to choose the best personal loan for excellent credit

Having excellent credit is an advantage, but it can make choosing between multiple loan offers more difficult. Check the overall cost of the loan and monthly payments against your budget, and carefully weigh the different features offered by each lender.

Here are several considerations to keep in mind:

• Cost. The loan's cost is often its most important feature. The loan with the lowest APR is the least expensive, but a loan with a slightly higher APR and longer repayment term may have lower monthly payments. Look for a loan that has affordable monthly payments without inflating interest costs too much. 

• Loan term. Terms on a personal loan typically range from two to seven years. Some lenders offer limited repayment term options, while others offer pre-qualified borrowers several terms to choose from. A longer term means you’ll typically have lower monthly payments but pay more in interest over the life of the loan. A shorter loan term means higher monthly payments but less interest paid overall.

• Loan amount. Having excellent credit may qualify you for the largest available loan amounts, which can be up to $100,000 in some cases, but only request the amount of money you’ll need. 

• Funding time. Most lenders will fund a personal loan within a week of approval. If you need money fast, consider a lender that offers same- or next-day funding.

• Loan features. Some lenders will send loan proceeds directly to your creditors if you’re consolidating debt, allow flexible payment schedules or offer rate discounts for setting up automatic payments.

• Perks. Take advantage of resources offered by lenders such as free credit score monitoring, financial planning or hardship assistance plans.

» MORE: 5 features to look for in a personal loan

Pre-qualify to get started

Pre-qualifying for a personal loan allows you to see personalized terms, including the loan’s interest rate and monthly payments, before committing to the loan. You can pre-qualify with multiple lenders on NerdWallet to compare offers and find the lowest rate.

Alternatives for excellent-credit borrowers

Having excellent credit means you may qualify for many credit options. Here are a few others you might consider.

Zero-interest credit card: 0% interest credit cards let you borrow at no cost as long as you pay off your balance within the card’s 0% interest introductory period — typically 15 to 21 months. This kind of card is a good choice for a small- to medium-sized expense, like an engagement ring or laptop, that you can pay off by the end of the promotional period.

Rewards credit card: Credit cards that offer rewards like travel points or cash back can be beneficial for future expenses. Pay off the card’s balance each month to avoid paying interest. You can use a rewards card to pay for travel and reap the benefits on future trips.

Personal line of credit: A personal line of credit functions like a mix between a credit card and a personal loan. It’s a good option for expenses with unpredictable timelines and costs, such as large home improvement projects.