Ryberg was born on November 2, 1901 in Grimes, Iowa as Inez Gertrude Scott. Her father was a minister in a Presbyterian church and this influence in her early life lead to a major focus in Latin studies and religion. In 1921 Ryberg enrolled at the University of Minnesota to earn her BA in Latin and also enrolled for her MA the same year. In 1924 Ryberg transferred to the University of Wisconsin to study for her Ph.D. in which her thesis subject was the Grand Style in the Satires of Juvenal. While at UW Ryberg's Latin professor, George Converse Fiske, became her mentor, partially due to their mutual interest in Roman Religion, and helped steer her onto her future career path. After completing her Ph.D. thesis and teaching Latin at Wilson College in Pennsylvania for a year, Ryberg left the US to take a fellowship at the American Academy in Rome.
Fiske was on the Advisory Council for Classical Studies at the American Academy in Rome and encouraged her to apply for the fellowship. Ryberg was one of three applicants who received the Rome Prize fellowship in 1924. The award included an annual stipend of $1250 and was for 2 years. During her time at the academy Ryberg studied under Tenney Frank of Johns Hopkins and Charles Rufus Morey of Princeton. Later in life during her time at Vassar, Ryberg took several leaves of absence to return to the Academy and work in the library and various museums in Rome.
After returning from the American Academy in Rome, Ryberg spent a year teaching Latin at Smith College before arriving at Vassar as an Assistant Professor in 1927 and teaching until 1965. Ryberg accepted the position after another alumna of the Academy, Lily Ross Taylor, left Vassar to accept a position at Bryn Mawr College. Ryberg became Chair of the Classics department in 1942, when Elizabeth H. Haight retired, and held the position until her retirement, with the exception of 1949-1952 when she returned to the Academy for research. Vassar recognised Ryberg's academic abilities and funded several of her publications and research sabbaticals.
On June 11, 1930 Inez Scott married Milton Emmanuel Ryberg. Part of Inez Ryberg's success in the academic field had been dependent on her marriage, the couple rarely lived together, focusing more on their respective careers, but never so far apart that there were not regular visits scheduled. The pair never had children.
Awards and Societies
While at the University of Minnesota Ryberg became a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
