High levels of serum cholesterol and low density-lipoproteins are powerful predictors of coronary heart disease. A poor blood lipid profile is thought to be one of the most important predisposing factors in the development of coronary heart disease, accounting for almost half of all cases in the U.S. The general recommendation by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) is too keep total cholesterol levels below 200 mg/dl. The NCEP also recommends testing at least once every five years for all adults, beginning at age 20 or at least every three years for people with a family history of heart disease. However, little is known concerning the cholesterol levels of college students, especially those indigenous to certain regions of the country. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum cholesterol levels of college students indigenous to northeast Arkansas who were enrolled in a required health-related fitness course. During the fall and spring semesters of the academic year, students (n=504) from randomly selected sections, age 18 to 50 (20.34 + 4.38), volunteered for participation. Serum blood cholesterol was obtained from each participant using a "finger stick" sample and analyzed using the Cholestech LDX System. This system provides data with similar accuracy as reference laboratories and follows the NCEP guidelines for total error. Participants were also asked questions concerning various risk factors related to cardiovascular disease. Initial results indicated that the mean serum cholesterol of all participants was 205.06 + 50.22 mg/dl while the means for gender were 209.17 + 50.20 and 202.55 + 50.16 for males and females respectively. It was also determined that of participants less than 30 years of age, 48.7% had cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dl or greater and was similar for students age 22 years and younger (48.1%). Overall, 50.5% of participants had serum cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dl or greater. Additional analyses using ANOVA indicated no significant differences between gender and other various cardiovascular disease risk factors. However, significant differences were found between ethnic groups, F (2, 501)=3.94, p=.020 as well as weight classifications, F (4, 288)=5.91, p < .001. These results would appear to be of significant importance since the general recommendation by the National Cholesterol Education Program is to keep total cholesterol levels below 200 mg/d. As the result of these findings, it was concluded that further cholesterol screening, education, and behavioral intervention strategies are warranted.