Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011 years	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Realized gains or realized losses			$ 0
Outstanding balance of prepaid clinical rotations with hospital group	6,200,000		6,200,000
Reserve against prepaid balance	1,600,000		1,600,000
Internal-use software development costs maximum amortization period, in years			5
Net balance of capitalized software development costs	72,200,000	56,300,000	72,200,000	56,300,000
Federal contributions received			0		0
Short-term investments, maturity term-years			1
Anti-dilutive shares excluded from computations of earnings per share	1,186,000	1,291,000	1,563,000	1,186,000
Number of authorized stock repurchase programs			7
Management ownership interest required to make options exercisable prior to January 2013			falls below five percent
First five stock repurchase programs completion date			June 2011
Accumulated other comprehensive income balance			4,700,000	13,900,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income balance attributable to DeVry Inc.			3,600,000	11,300,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income balance attributable to non-controlling interest			1,100,000	2,600,000
Tax effect on unrealized losses on available-for-sale securities			200,000	200,000
Comprehensive income	8,000,000	89,600,000	55,100,000	166,000,000
Advertising expense	62,200,000	60,800,000	132,900,000	122,800,000
DeVry Inc. [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Ownership interest of parent in subsidiary	83.50%		83.50%
Unrealized losses on available-for-sale marketable securities, net			300,000	300,000
DeVry Brasil [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Remaining ownership interest owned by management group	16.50%		16.50%
Project DELTA [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Costs capitalized	5,800,000	7,000,000	10,200,000	11,800,000
Perkins Student Loan Fund [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of contributions by federal government	33.00%		33.00%
Investment at original values, net of allowances for expected losses on loan collections	$ 2,600,000	$ 2,600,000	$ 2,600,000	$ 2,600,000
Sixth Repurchase Program [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Repurchase program completion date			December 2011
Repurchase program approval date			May 10, 2011
Repurchase program commencement date			June 2011
Seventh Repurchase Program [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Repurchase program approval date			November 2, 2011
Repurchase program commencement date			December 2011