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Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

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Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

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Period of time between issuance and maturity of debt instrument, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Amount of paid and unpaid preferred stock dividends declared with the form of settlement in cash, stock and payment-in-kind (PIK).

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Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of obligations due all related parties.

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Expenses recognized resulting from transactions (excluding transactions that are eliminated in consolidated or combined financial statements) with related party.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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The number of shares issued or sold by the subsidiary or equity method investee per stock transaction.

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Related Party Transactions (Details) - USD ($)			1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Related Party Transactions (Details) - USD ($)	Feb. 06, 2017	Dec. 16, 2015	Feb. 28, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Class A Common Stock \| IPO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (in shares)	35,000,000
Series A Preferred Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Preferred stock dividends declared and paid						$ 11,103,000	$ 18,052,000
Affiliated Entity \| Series A Preferred Stock \| KKR And Snow Phipps
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (in shares)				60,000
Preferred stock dividends declared and paid						$ 2,000	3,644,000
Affiliated Entity \| Series A-2 Preferred Stock \| KKR And Snow Phipps
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (in shares)				15,000
Majority Shareholder \| Notes Payable \| Wengen
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Note payable to related party		$ 11,000,000
Term of related party loan		3 years
Majority Shareholder \| Notes Payable \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Wengen
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		4.25%
Floor interest rate		1.25%
Transactions Between Laureate And Santa Fe University of Arts and Design (SFUAD) \| Affiliated Entity \| Santa Fe University of Arts and Design (SFUAD) [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due to related party							1,250,000
Transaction Between Laureate and Sylvan Laureate Foundation \| Affiliated Entity \| Sylvan Laureate Foundation
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party transaction, amounts of transaction					$ 2,000,000
Transaction Between Laureate And An Affiliate Of One Of The Wengen Investors \| Affiliated Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party transaction, amounts of transaction							2,768,000	$ 185,000
Transaction Between Laureate And An Affiliate Of One Of The Wengen Investors \| Affiliated Entity \| Class A Common Stock \| IPO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (in shares)			3,571,000
Transaction Between Laureate and I/O Data Centers, LLC (I/O) \| Affiliated Entity \| I/O Data Centers, LLC And Affiliates
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Costs incurred in transactions with related party							$ 500,000	$ 900,000