Esté van Marle-Köster obtained an MSc (Agriculture) in Animal breeding from the University of the Free State. After working in the animal science industry she joined the University of Pretoria in 1995 and obtained a PhD (Agric) in Animal breeding and genetics in the Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences with the focus on using molecular technology in farm animals.

Study visits were spent at the University of Wageningen, (Netherlands) and Technical University of München, Germany with the respective Animal breeding and genetics research groups. She has several peer reviewed and applied research articles.

Prof van Marle-Köster has a NRF C2-rating.