Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Variable Interest Entities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	$ 983,394	$ 929,855	$ 3,116,766	$ 3,068,299
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	(5,696)	12,502	175,288	211,913
Net income (loss)	(103,490)	80,930	(106,745)	327,722
Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	(97,959)	86,317	(104,380)	330,539
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents	504,962	481,471	504,962	481,471	$ 464,965	$ 458,673
Current assets held for sale	92,248		92,248		0
Other current assets	962,689		962,689		650,836
Total current assets (includes VIE amounts of $549,721 and $322,210, see Note 2)	1,559,899		1,559,899		1,115,801
Goodwill	2,028,286		2,028,286		1,934,464
Tradenames	1,330,302		1,330,302		1,307,633
Other intangible assets, net	43,206		43,206		46,700
Long-term assets held for sale	279,801		279,801		0
Other long-term assets	2,541,070		2,541,070		2,657,872
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,558,050 and $1,309,113, see Note 2)	7,782,564		7,782,564		7,062,470
Current liabilities held for sale	158,280		158,280		0
Current liabilities	1,736,699		1,736,699		1,440,232
Long-term liabilities held for sale	73,199		73,199		0
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	3,915,249		3,915,249		4,601,013
Total liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $606,896 and $424,297, see Note 2)	5,883,427		5,883,427		6,041,245
Total stockholders' equity	1,582,229		1,582,229		664,392
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	1,551,678		1,551,678		632,210
Brazil
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	517,341		517,341		501,055
Mexico
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	556,086		556,086		480,985
Andean & Iberian
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	317,267		317,267		297,519
Central America & U.S. Campuses
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	58,005		58,005		58,005
EMEAA
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	118,900		118,900		137,113
Operating Segments
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	983,394	929,855	3,116,766	3,068,299
Operating Segments | Brazil
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	170,497	152,768	547,971	479,628
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,558,050 and $1,309,113, see Note 2)	1,288,014		1,288,014		1,245,264
Operating Segments | Mexico
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	141,175	140,400	451,993	455,130
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,558,050 and $1,309,113, see Note 2)	1,087,323		1,087,323		972,171
Operating Segments | Andean & Iberian
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	314,788	289,182	930,335	835,477
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,558,050 and $1,309,113, see Note 2)	2,264,689		2,264,689		1,951,864
Operating Segments | Central America & U.S. Campuses
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	69,598	65,602	219,081	207,142
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,558,050 and $1,309,113, see Note 2)	339,816		339,816		345,238
Operating Segments | EMEAA
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	126,353	116,967	468,339	584,979
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,558,050 and $1,309,113, see Note 2)	1,147,354		1,147,354		958,883
Other operations
Revenues, by segment:
Depreciation and amortization	67,930	66,824	199,394	202,735
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	(5,696)	12,502	175,288	211,913
Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	49,968	61,132	264,644	387,008
Corporate and eliminations
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	(7,392)	(8,367)	(21,935)	(25,120)
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	(149,192)	22,478	(391,308)	(37,995)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents	265,494		265,494		169,074
Current assets held for sale	2,723		2,723		0
Other current assets	281,504		281,504		153,136
Total current assets (includes VIE amounts of $549,721 and $322,210, see Note 2)	549,721		549,721		322,210
Goodwill	193,669		193,669		181,669
Tradenames	109,394		109,394		104,117
Other intangible assets, net	0		0		0
Long-term assets held for sale	28,306		28,306		0
Other long-term assets	676,960		676,960		701,117
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,558,050 and $1,309,113, see Note 2)	1,558,050		1,558,050		1,309,113
Current liabilities held for sale	6,855		6,855		0
Current liabilities	497,470		497,470		320,922
Long-term liabilities held for sale	11,239		11,239		0
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	91,332		91,332		103,375
Total liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $606,896 and $424,297, see Note 2)	606,896		606,896		424,297
Total stockholders' equity	951,154		951,154		884,816
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	932,384		932,384		$ 866,997
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	173,517	173,871	523,981	488,869
Depreciation and amortization	12,697	13,422	38,171	39,190
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	(4,202)	(1,957)	6,137	(24,890)
Net income (loss)	378	1,563	23,418	(18,517)
Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	1,265	2,707	22,284	(18,474)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Brazil
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	11	0	57	0
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	(23)	(17)	(30)	(60)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Mexico
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	(163)	(105)	(516)	(492)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Andean & Iberian
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	114,494	116,839	300,385	257,327
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	6,584	12,365	(3,567)	(29,625)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Central America & U.S. Campuses
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	16,350	15,113	47,362	44,088
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	910	406	1,873	212
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | EMEAA
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	42,662	41,919	176,177	187,454
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	$ (11,510)	$ (14,606)	$ 8,377	$ 5,075