Assets Held for Sale - Summary of Unaudited Results of Operations for Assets Held for Sale (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Revenue		$ 174,780	$ 186,172	$ 357,082	$ 384,326
Operating Expenses:
Educational services and facilities		53,949	59,001	108,900	120,639
General and administrative		121,365	129,051	260,513	277,497
Depreciation and amortization		7,113	9,368	13,898	19,313
Asset impairment		1,685	3	7,704	77
Operating loss		(9,332)	(11,251)	(33,933)	(33,200)
Operating expenses:
Revenue	[1]	42,019	44,195	86,763	89,420
Operating Expenses:
Educational services and facilities	[1]	19,531	29,519	39,404	62,166
General and administrative	[1]	24,014	35,083	49,074	78,991
Depreciation and amortization	[1]	74	5,025	1	10,511
Asset impairment	[1],[2]	9,687	7,451	9,687	7,444
Total operating expenses	[1]	53,306	77,078	98,166	159,112
Continuing Operation [Member] | Missouri College [Member]
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Revenue		1,876	1,864	3,735	3,811
Operating Expenses:
Educational services and facilities		1,099	1,060	2,134	2,193
General and administrative		1,905	1,741	3,587	3,403
Depreciation and amortization		79	170	158	343
Asset impairment		518		518
Total operating expenses		3,601	2,971	6,397	5,939
Operating loss		(1,725)	(1,107)	(2,662)	(2,128)
Discontinued Operations [Member] | LCB Institutions [Member]
Operating expenses:
Revenue		42,048	42,566	86,760	84,813
Operating Expenses:
Educational services and facilities		19,115	19,965	39,058	39,305
General and administrative		23,806	30,663	48,331	67,348
Depreciation and amortization			4,310	1	8,578
Asset impairment		9,687	7,400	9,687	7,400
Total operating expenses		52,608	62,338	97,077	122,631
Operating loss		$ (10,560)	$ (19,772)	$ (10,317)	$ (37,818)

[1] Includes the results of operations for our LCB campuses that are held for sale, which met the criteria to be considered discontinued operations under ASC Topic 360, in addition to our Transitional Group campuses that completed their teach-out prior to 2015.

[2] Asset impairment charges for the current year quarter relate to impairment recorded for our LCB campuses which are held for sale as a result of our fair value analysis.