She grew up in Saint Andrew, and attended the St Andrew High School for Girls.[1] Leo-Rhynie completed her undergraduate education at the University of the West Indies (UWI), graduating with a B.Sc. in botany and zoology. She later completed a graduate diploma in education and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the same institution. Until 1977, she worked as a high school science teacher, spending periods at Haverstock School (in England) and Meadowbrook High School (in Jamaica).[2]