He studied at Concordia College and obtained his BA in mathematics and economics in 1954.
He then continued his study in mathematics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and obtained an MA in 1956.
He received his Ph.D. in Statistics from Stanford University in 1960 under the supervision of Emanuel Parzen.
[3] Ylvisaker was named a Fellow of the American Statistical Association in 1991.
[4] Besides academic research, Ylvisaker served as a statistical consultant to the California State Lottery.