Heart & Lipids
Total Cholesterol test cost: $28–$45
By Elo. Last updated July 2026.
Total cholesterol is the sum of all cholesterol carried in your blood. It's the headline number on a standard lipid panel.
Below we compare what Total Cholesterol costs on its own against every package we track that includes it, sorted by price. Standalone prices are all-in cash prices, each lab's list price plus its one draw or physician fee, pulled from direct-to-consumer labs on the Quest or LabCorp network and verified July 2026.
How much does a Total Cholesterol test cost?
Total Cholesterol costs $28–$35 on its own, or $99–$499 in a bundle. Those are cash prices, so they're also what you pay for Total Cholesterol without insurance.
At Quest Diagnostics, a Total Cholesterol test costs $45 on its own, or $65 as part of Quest's Cholesterol (Lipid) Panel.
Cost of Total Cholesterol on its own
- Ulta Lab Tests charges $28 for Total Cholesterol ($14.95 + $12.95 specimen draw fee).(lowest price)
- Walk-In Lab charges $35 for Total Cholesterol ($29 + $6 physician service fee).
Cost of Total Cholesterol in a bundle
- Goodlabs includes Total Cholesterol in a 14-biomarker panel free with a blood donation.
- Vitals Vault includes Total Cholesterol in a 37-biomarker panel for $99.
- LabCorp OnDemand includes Total Cholesterol in a 48-biomarker panel for $169.
- Empirical Health includes Total Cholesterol in a 100-biomarker panel for $190.
- Superpower includes Total Cholesterol in a 59-biomarker panel for $199.
- Parsley Health includes Total Cholesterol in a 41-biomarker panel for $275.
- Mito Health includes Total Cholesterol in a 53-biomarker panel for $349.
- WHOOP Advanced Labs includes Total Cholesterol in a 65-biomarker panel for $349.
- Function Health includes Total Cholesterol in a 128-biomarker panel for $365.
- Everlywell includes Total Cholesterol in an 86-biomarker panel for $399.
- Marek Health includes Total Cholesterol in a 56-biomarker panel for $495.
- InsideTracker includes Total Cholesterol in a 48-biomarker panel for $499.
Cheapest option: The cheapest Total Cholesterol test is Ulta Lab Tests ($28), or Vitals Vault ($99) if you want a 37-biomarker bundle that includes Total Cholesterol.
Each standalone fee is charged once per blood draw, so ordering several markers together shares one fee. Direct-to-consumer lab prices move with promotions, so figures are point-in-time, verified July 2026. Usually ordered as part of a lipid panel. Walk-In Lab's Lipid Panel ($29 + $6 physician fee) also includes HDL, LDL, and triglycerides.
Does insurance cover a Total Cholesterol test?
Usually yes, as preventive care. Most plans cover it at $0 for eligible adults, with no copay if you meet the criteria. Medicare covers the screening lipid panel once every 5 years, not annually. Outside those rules the negotiated cost is about $15 to $25, and cash is $28. Drawn at a hospital lab, the same test can be billed $150-800, so use a standalone or in-network site.
Frequently asked questions about Total Cholesterol testing
What is the cheapest way to get a Total Cholesterol test?
The cheapest Total Cholesterol test is Ulta Lab Tests ($28), or Vitals Vault ($99) if you want a 37-biomarker bundle that includes Total Cholesterol.
Do I need a doctor's order to get a Total Cholesterol test?
No. The standalone Total Cholesterol tests listed above include the physician order in their price, so you can buy it online and have your blood drawn without your own doctor. You would only need your own doctor's order if you want to bill the test to insurance.
What is a normal total cholesterol level?
A desirable total cholesterol is under 200 mg/dL. 200 to 239 mg/dL is borderline high and 240 mg/dL or above is high. Total cholesterol on its own is a blunt number, so HDL, LDL, and triglycerides give a clearer picture of your risk.
Do I need to fast before a total cholesterol test?
For total cholesterol alone, fasting is not required. If it is part of a full lipid panel that calculates LDL, a 9 to 12 hour fast may be requested, though non-fasting panels are increasingly accepted for screening.