Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill) (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	$ 1,485,946	$ 1,586,603
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	(168,031)	(171,606)
Goodwill, net, beginning balance	1,317,915	1,414,997
Reallocation, net	0
Acquisitions	7,934	23,606
Impairment		(102,259)
Dispositions	(13,602)	(29,000)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes and other	(23,625)	10,571
Goodwill, ending balance	1,396,963	1,485,946
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance	(108,341)	(168,031)
Goodwill, net, ending balance	1,288,622	1,317,915
Education [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	1,097,058	1,116,615
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	(102,259)	(8,492)
Goodwill, net, beginning balance	994,799	1,108,123
Reallocation, net	0
Acquisitions	0	7,364
Impairment		(102,259)
Dispositions	0	(29,000)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes and other	(23,625)	10,571
Goodwill, ending balance	1,073,433	1,097,058
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance	(102,259)	(102,259)
Goodwill, net, ending balance	971,174	994,799
Higher Education [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	409,184	409,128
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	0	0
Goodwill, net, beginning balance	409,184	409,128
Acquisitions		0
Impairment		0
Dispositions		0
Foreign currency exchange rate changes and other	(168)	56
Goodwill, ending balance	409,016	409,184
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance	0	0
Goodwill, net, ending balance	409,016	409,184
Test Preparation [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	152,187	152,187
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	(102,259)	0
Goodwill, net, beginning balance	49,928	152,187
Acquisitions		0
Impairment		(102,259)
Dispositions		0
Foreign currency exchange rate changes and other	0	0
Goodwill, ending balance	152,187	152,187
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance	(102,259)	(102,259)
Goodwill, net, ending balance	49,928	49,928
Kaplan International [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	535,687	515,936
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	0	0
Goodwill, net, beginning balance	535,687	515,936
Acquisitions		7,364
Impairment		0
Dispositions		0
Foreign currency exchange rate changes and other	(23,457)	12,387
Goodwill, ending balance	512,230	535,687
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance	0	0
Goodwill, net, ending balance	512,230	535,687
Kaplan Ventures [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	0	39,364
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	0	(8,492)
Goodwill, net, beginning balance	0	30,872
Acquisitions		0
Impairment		0
Dispositions		(29,000)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes and other	0	(1,872)
Goodwill, ending balance	0	0
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance	0	0
Goodwill, net, ending balance	0	0
Cable [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	85,488	85,488
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	0	0
Goodwill, net, beginning balance	85,488	85,488
Reallocation, net	0
Acquisitions	0	0
Impairment		0
Dispositions	0	0
Foreign currency exchange rate changes and other	0	0
Goodwill, ending balance	85,488	85,488
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance	0	0
Goodwill, net, ending balance	85,488	85,488
Newspaper Publishing [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	81,183	81,183
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	(65,772)	(65,772)
Goodwill, net, beginning balance	15,411	15,411
Reallocation, net	(1,809)
Acquisitions	0	0
Impairment		0
Dispositions	(13,602)	0
Foreign currency exchange rate changes and other	0	0
Goodwill, ending balance	0	81,183
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance	0	(65,772)
Goodwill, net, ending balance	0	15,411
Television Broadcasting [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	203,165	203,165
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	0	0
Goodwill, net, beginning balance	203,165	203,165
Reallocation, net	0
Acquisitions	0	0
Impairment		0
Dispositions	0	0
Foreign currency exchange rate changes and other	0	0
Goodwill, ending balance	203,165	203,165
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance	0	0
Goodwill, net, ending balance	203,165	203,165
Other Businesses [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	19,052	100,152
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	0	(97,342)
Goodwill, net, beginning balance	19,052	2,810
Reallocation, net	1,809
Acquisitions	7,934	16,242
Impairment		0
Dispositions	0	0
Foreign currency exchange rate changes and other	0	0
Goodwill, ending balance	34,877	19,052
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance	(6,082)	0
Goodwill, net, ending balance	$ 28,795	$ 19,052