Note 13. Employee Stock Option and Retirement Plans (Detail) - Summary of Restricted Stock Award (USD $)	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2013		Nov. 30, 2012	Feb. 28, 2013
Balance	289,000		383,000	383,000
Balance (in Dollars per share)	$ 73.92		$ 71.34	$ 71.34
Balance at February 28, 2013	232,000		289,000	232,000
Balance at February 28, 2013 (in Dollars per share)	$ 77.30		$ 73.92	$ 77.30
Vested	(56,000)	[1]	(93,000)	(148,969)
Vested (in Dollars per share)	$ 60.66	[1]	$ 63.23
Canceled/forfeited	(1,000)		(1,000)
Canceled/forfeited (in Dollars per share)	$ 77.61		$ 77.38

[1] Of the total 56,254 restricted stock awards that vested during the second quarter of fiscal 2013, 55,572 related to awards granted on February 9, 2010 at the grant date price of $63.09. These restricted stock awards cliff vest 100% after three years (on February 9, 2013). The awards were amortized to expense over the vesting period using the straight-line attribution method. The remaining 682 restricted stock awards that vested during the second quarter of fiscal 2013 were previously granted in July 2011. These restricted stock units were performance-based and cliff vest when certain ASV targets are met. Of the total units originally granted, 205 units vested during the first quarter of fiscal 2013 and 682 vested during the second quarter of fiscal 2013 because FactSet achieved two of the three ASV growth targets. As of February 28, 2013, unamortized stock-based compensation expense of less than $0.1 million is to be amortized to compensation expense over the remaining vesting period.