Business Segments (Summary of Education Division Operating Segments) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands	3 Months Ended						6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jul. 03, 2011	Apr. 03, 2011	Jan. 02, 2011	Oct. 03, 2010	Jul. 04, 2010	Apr. 04, 2010	Jul. 03, 2011	Jul. 04, 2010	Jan. 02, 2011	Jan. 03, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Operating revenues	$ 1,072,997	$ 1,053,010	$ 1,185,839	$ 1,187,560	$ 1,197,410	$ 1,128,985	$ 2,126,007	$ 2,326,395	$ 4,699,794	$ 4,345,680
Income (loss) from operations	81,093	55,016	150,869	137,914	166,898	106,599	136,109	273,497	562,280	272,302
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment	63,908	63,230	63,901	60,939	61,024	61,458	127,138	122,482	247,322	291,221
Amortization of intangible assets	6,836	6,221	6,495	6,466	7,549	6,460	13,057	14,009	26,970	26,294
Identifiable assets	4,721,287		4,785,820				4,721,287		4,785,820	4,777,600
Education [Member] | Test Preperation [Member] | Score [Member]
Operating revenues									0	8,557
Income (loss) from operations									0	(36,787)
Education [Member]
Operating revenues	628,701	630,027	695,619	741,156	742,921	698,336	1,258,728	1,441,257	2,878,032	2,595,802
Income (loss) from operations	20,462	18,512	66,077	106,439	112,391	61,444	38,974	173,835	346,351	209,184
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment	22,517	21,209	21,420	18,950	19,020	18,608	43,726	37,628	77,998	81,015
Amortization of intangible assets	5,547	4,925	5,171	4,943	6,300	5,220	10,472	11,520	21,634	21,875
Impairment charge of goodwill and other intangible assets										25,387
Kaplan stock-based incentive compensation expense	483	(825)	131	(2,397)	552	535	(342)	1,087	(1,179)	933
Identifiable assets											2,061,646	2,197,277	2,188,328
Education [Member] | Higher Education [Member]
Operating revenues	362,169	390,279	438,997	495,595	507,448	478,751	752,448	986,199	1,920,791	1,672,916
Income (loss) from operations	45,295	50,483	70,547	117,508	127,067	91,604	95,778	218,671	406,726	283,839
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment	12,115	11,450	11,160	10,834	10,611	10,499	23,565	21,110	43,104	43,425
Identifiable assets											731,825	1,093,614	1,069,965
Education [Member] | Test Preparation [Member]
Operating revenues	83,197	73,365	75,590	80,236	85,238	73,815	156,562	159,053	314,879	336,788
Income (loss) from operations	(11,597)	(12,676)	(18,861)	(1,625)	(327)	(11,770)	(24,273)	(12,097)	(32,583)	(18,029)
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment	3,796	4,449	4,581	3,025	3,360	3,129	8,245	6,489	14,095	17,941
Identifiable assets											330,464	290,367	285,673
Education [Member] | Kaplan International [Member]
Operating revenues	166,071	148,687	163,342	151,208	137,389	133,985	314,758	271,374	585,924	537,238
Income (loss) from operations	10,207	547	23,776	14,904	12,945	4,527	10,754	17,472	56,152	53,772
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment	4,713	3,430	3,830	3,054	3,000	2,955	8,143	5,955	12,839	11,438
Identifiable assets											861,489	675,122	671,249
Education [Member] | Kaplan Ventures [Member]
Operating revenues	17,418	18,365	17,685	14,065	13,423	14,123	35,783	27,546	59,296	57,210
Income (loss) from operations	(4,290)	(3,068)	(3,484)	(5,076)	(4,949)	(3,981)	(7,358)	(8,930)	(17,490)	(9,286)
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment	1,028	1,049	1,083	985	1,009	1,032	2,077	2,041	4,109	3,911
Identifiable assets											117,542	118,461	88,291
Education [Member] | Kaplan Corporate and Other [Member]
Operating revenues	1,065	1,117	1,588	1,375	1,283	1,291	2,182	2,574	5,537	2,436
Income (loss) from operations	(19,171)	(16,543)	(5,919)	(19,302)	(22,054)	(18,945)	(35,714)	(40,999)	(66,220)	(101,422)
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment	865	831	766	1,052	1,040	993	1,696	2,033	3,851	4,300
Identifiable assets											20,326	19,713	73,150
Education [Member] | Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Operating revenues	(1,219)	(1,786)	(1,583)	(1,323)	(1,860)	(3,629)	(3,005)	(5,489)	(8,395)	(10,786)
Income (loss) from operations	18	(231)	18	30	(291)	9	(213)	(282)	(234)	310
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Operating revenues	$ (742)	$ (1,139)	$ (861)	$ (2,013)	$ (2,084)	$ (2,096)	$ (1,881)	$ (4,180)	$ (7,054)	$ (6,385)