He graduated from Chalmers University of Technology in 1947 with a major in chemical engineering.
After finishing his military service, he joined the Swedish Institute for Metals Research in 1948.
He investigated his options for postgraduate studies related to his new area, and took additional physics courses at KTH.
In 1953, he moved to the United States for postgraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned an Sc.D.
[2] Hillert made contributions to many areas of metals research, including thermodynamics and phase transitions.