Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Variable Interest Entities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2015
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	$ 913,710	$ 787,102	$ 1,017,196	$ 632,216	$ 951,189	$ 818,601	$ 1,017,108	$ 598,978	$ 3,350,224	$ 3,385,876	$ 3,301,864
Depreciation and amortization									239,998	264,742	264,879
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)	139,807	25,576	218,218	(92,619)	140,116	24,860	196,047	(119,030)	290,982	241,993	290,677
Net income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	71,568	$ (94,789)	$ 224,411	$ 168,877	195,846	$ (97,958)	$ 116,385	$ (122,808)	370,067	91,465	371,847
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents	388,490				320,567				388,490	320,567	295,785
Current assets held for sale	306,372				324,668				306,372	324,668
Other current assets	522,271				643,459				522,271	643,459
Total current assets (includes VIE amounts of $483,613 and $407,315, see Note 2)	1,217,133				1,288,694				1,217,133	1,288,694
Goodwill	1,707,089				1,828,365				1,707,089	1,828,365	1,786,554
Tradenames	1,126,244				1,167,302				1,126,244	1,167,302
Other intangible assets, net	25,429				35,779				25,429	35,779
Long-term assets held for sale	1,031,459				1,224,672				1,031,459	1,224,672
Other long-term assets	1,662,282				1,846,473				1,662,282	1,846,473
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,196,813 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	6,769,636				7,391,285				6,769,636	7,391,285
Current liabilities held for sale	308,391				451,569				308,391	451,569
Other current liabilities	881,696				923,020				881,696	923,020
Long-term liabilities held for sale	354,293				405,747				354,293	405,747
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	3,159,914				3,609,670				3,159,914	3,609,670
Total liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $274,744 and $449,561, see Note 2)	4,704,294				5,390,006				4,704,294	5,390,006
Total stockholders' equity	2,050,946				1,587,282				2,050,946	1,587,282	664,392	$ 1,632,532	$ 355,426
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	2,061,079				1,575,164				2,061,079	1,575,164
Brazil
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	406,452				493,373				406,452	493,373	501,055
Mexico
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	498,219				503,373				498,219	503,373	480,985
Andean
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	254,259				272,181				254,259	272,181	253,911
Rest of World
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	87,419				98,698				87,419	98,698	88,802
Operating Segments
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									3,350,224	3,385,876	3,301,864
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,196,813 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	6,769,636				7,391,285				6,769,636	7,391,285
Operating Segments | Brazil
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									654,300	765,746	690,804
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,196,813 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	1,011,391				1,256,364				1,011,391	1,256,364
Operating Segments | Mexico
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									646,134	646,154	626,011
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,196,813 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	971,309				969,400				971,309	969,400
Operating Segments | Andean
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									1,155,691	1,085,640	969,717
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,196,813 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	1,608,406				1,714,819				1,608,406	1,714,819
Operating Segments | Rest of World
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									238,006	214,720	330,423
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,196,813 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	231,421				225,429				231,421	225,429
Other operations including discontinued operations
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)									290,982	241,993	290,677
Net income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.									503,149	513,205	550,058
Corporate and eliminations
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									(8,133)	(16,758)	(20,067)
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Net income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.									(166,281)	(434,775)	(181,520)
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,196,813 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	1,638,255				1,931,126				1,638,255	1,931,126
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									100,227	123,237	113,276
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents	158,387				100,971				158,387	100,971
Current assets held for sale	183,880				170,229				183,880	170,229
Other current assets	141,346				136,115				141,346	136,115
Total current assets (includes VIE amounts of $483,613 and $407,315, see Note 2)	483,613				407,315				483,613	407,315
Goodwill	168,473				183,812				168,473	183,812
Tradenames	66,929				74,484				66,929	74,484
Other intangible assets, net	0				0				0	0
Long-term assets held for sale	165,087				369,375				165,087	369,375
Other long-term assets	312,711				384,593				312,711	384,593
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,196,813 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	1,196,813				1,419,579				1,196,813	1,419,579
Current liabilities held for sale	101,320				183,166				101,320	183,166
Other current liabilities	106,657				157,981				106,657	157,981
Long-term liabilities held for sale	42,265				84,760				42,265	84,760
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	24,502				23,654				24,502	23,654
Total liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $274,744 and $449,561, see Note 2)	274,744				449,561				274,744	449,561
Total stockholders' equity	922,069				970,018				922,069	970,018
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	$ 921,747				$ 948,966				921,747	948,966
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									441,388	418,123	400,317
Depreciation and amortization									25,489	26,899	28,351
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)									9,132	(5,735)	(13,966)
Net income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.									33,199	13,035	3,309
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Brazil
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									0	104	0
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)									(71)	(1)	(80)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Mexico
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									94	0	0
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)									(489)	(876)	(967)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Andean
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									441,294	418,019	380,111
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)									9,692	(4,858)	(17,120)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Rest of World
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									0	0	20,206
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)									$ 0	$ 0	$ 4,201