Quarterly Financial Summary (Schedule Of Quarterly Financial Summary) (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Nov. 14, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Sep. 30, 2010		Jun. 30, 2010		Mar. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Schedule Of Quarterly Financial Summary [Line Items]
Revenue		$ 439,516,000	[1],[2]	$ 428,411,000	[1],[3]	$ 484,878,000	[1],[4]	$ 531,700,000	[1],[5]	$ 531,568,000	[1],[2]	$ 521,612,000	[1],[3]	$ 517,737,000	[1],[4]	$ 518,256,000	[1],[5]	$ 1,884,505,000	[1]	$ 2,089,173,000	[1]	$ 1,802,401,000
Operating income (loss)		(168,905,000)	[1],[2]	19,881,000	[1],[3]	79,311,000	[1],[4]	108,875,000	[1],[5]	18,172,000	[1],[2]	42,997,000	[1],[3]	94,053,000	[1],[4]	85,677,000	[1],[5]	39,162,000	[1]	240,899,000	[1]	225,214,000
Net income (loss)		(120,449,000)	[2]	10,634,000	[3]	55,353,000	[4]	73,035,000	[5]	12,102,000	[2]	26,131,000	[3]	64,318,000	[4]	55,222,000	[5]	18,573,000		157,773,000		81,219,000
Net income (loss) per share, Basic		$ (1.64)	[2],[6]	$ 0.14	[3],[6]	$ 0.74	[4],[6]	$ 0.96	[5],[6]	$ 0.15	[2],[6]	$ 0.33	[3],[6]	$ 0.81	[4],[6]	$ 0.67	[5],[6]	$ 0.25	[6]	$ 1.97	[6]	$ 0.95
Net income (loss) per share, Diluted		$ (1.64)	[2],[6]	$ 0.14	[3],[6]	$ 0.73	[4],[6]	$ 0.95	[5],[6]	$ 0.15	[2],[6]	$ 0.33	[3],[6]	$ 0.80	[4],[6]	$ 0.66	[5],[6]	$ 0.25	[6]	$ 1.95	[6]	$ 0.94
Insurance recovery								7,000,000
Additional bad debt expense for increases in reserve rates related to extended payment plan programs												8,300,000				8,100,000
Legal expense related to the settlements of legal matters												47,300,000
Legal costs related to regulatory matters				11,400,000
Asset impairment charges						2,500,000
Income tax benefit resulting from credits associated with curriculum development														4,200,000
Goodwill impairment																		168,697,000		1,400,000
Goodwill and asset impairment charges		188,800,000				2,700,000				71,500,000								191,524,000		71,829,000		2,500,000
Gain on sale of business	27,100,000	27,100,000																(27,085,000)
Severance expense		5,500,000								7,700,000
Additional bad debt expense related to correction of an error										5,900,000
Culinary Arts [Member]
Schedule Of Quarterly Financial Summary [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges										67,800,000
Goodwill impairment										1,400,000
Corporate And Other [Member]
Schedule Of Quarterly Financial Summary [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges										2,300,000
Art & Design [Member]
Schedule Of Quarterly Financial Summary [Line Items]
Legal expense related to the settlements of legal matters		$ 6,000,000

[1] As of December 31, 2011, the results of operations for Istituto Marangoni along with our campuses that had previously ceased operations or were sold are presented within discontinued operations for all periods presented.

[2] Fourth quarter 2011 net income includes $188.8 million in goodwill and asset impairment charges, a $27.1 million pretax gain from the sale of Istituto Marangoni and a $6.0 million charge related to the potential settlement of a legal matter. Fourth quarter 2010 net income includes expense of $71.5 million related to goodwill and asset impairments, including $67.8 million related to trade name impairment within Culinary Arts, $1.4 million related to goodwill impairment within Culinary Arts and $2.3 million related to an asset impairment charge recorded within Corporate and Other. In addition, approximately $5.5 million and $7.7 million of severance expense was recorded during the fourth quarter 2011 and fourth quarter 2010, respectively. Fourth quarter 2010 net income also included $5.9 million of additional bad debt expense related to the correction of an error associated with the allowance for doubtful accounts for our extended payment plan programs.

[3] Third quarter 2011 net income includes $11.4 million of legal costs related to various regulatory matters. Third quarter 2010 net income includes expense of $47.3 million associated with the settlements of legal matters, as well as additional expense of $8.3 million for the increase in allowance for doubtful accounts related to our extended payment plan programs.

[4] Second quarter 2011 net income includes $2.7 million in goodwill and asset impairment charges. Second quarter 2010 net income includes a $4.2 million income tax benefit resulting from credits associated with curriculum development.

[5] First quarter 2011 net income includes a $7.0 million insurance recovery related to previously settled legal matters. First quarter 2010 net income includes additional expense of $8.1 million for the increase in allowance for doubtful accounts related to our extended payment plan programs.

[6] Basic and diluted earnings per share are calculated independently for each of the quarters presented. Accordingly, the sum of the quarterly earnings per share amounts may not agree with the annual earnings per share amount for the corresponding year.