Arnold Ruutel was born on 10 May 1928 in Saaremaa, Estonia.

After graduating from Janeda Agricultural College, in the years 1949-1950,
he worked as a senior agronomist at the department of agriculture of
Saaremaa's then administration.
Between 1955 and 1957, he was a teacher at Tartu School of
Mechanization of Agriculture.

In 1957 he became head livestock expert and later on director of an
experimental farm of the Estonian Institute for Livestock Breeding and
Veterinary Science.
From 1963 to 1969 he worked as director of the Tartu Model State Farm and,
besides working, graduated from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the
Estonian Agricultural Academy in 1964.