Subsequent Events	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events Sale of German Operations On April 12, 2018, LEI European Investments B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (LEI BV), and Laureate International B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (Laureate International), both of which are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Laureate Education, Inc., executed and closed a Sale and Purchase Agreement (the Laureate Germany SPA) with Global University Systems Germany B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (Global University Systems). Pursuant to the Laureate Germany SPA, Global University Systems purchased from LEI BV all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Laureate Germany Holding GmbH and its consolidated institutions, including the University of Applied Sciences Europe and Laureate Academies GmbH (collectively, Laureate Germany), and Laureate International guaranteed the obligations of LEI BV under the Laureate Germany SPA. Upon completion of the sale, LEI BV received gross proceeds of EUR 1,000 (approximately US $1,200 at the date of receipt). In connection with this transaction, the Company contributed capital to Laureate Germany of approximately $3,600, and will pay estimated real estate transfer taxes of approximately $800. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, Laureate Germany had $23,400 in revenue and $22,200 in operating loss, which included an impairment loss of $16,000 and $1,200 in depreciation and amortization expense. As of March 31, 2018, Laureate Germany had approximately 2,600 students. Sale of Moroccan Operations As previously reported in our 2017 Form 10-K, on November 29, 2017, Laureate Middle East Holdings B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (LMEH), and La Société Maroc Emirats Arabes Unis de Développement, a Morocco company (SOMED and, together with LMEH, the Sellers), Laureate I B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the Guarantor), and UPM Pédagogique, a Morocco company (the Purchaser), entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the Laureate Somed SPA), pursuant to which the Purchaser agreed to purchase from the Sellers all of the issued and outstanding capital shares of Laureate Somed Holding, a Morocco company (Laureate Somed), for a total transaction value of 500,000 Moroccan Dirhams, and the Guarantor agreed to guarantee certain obligations of LMEH under the Laureate Somed SPA. The transaction closed on April 13, 2018, and LMEH received net proceeds of 300,000 Moroccan Dirhams (approximately US $32,500 at the exchange rate on that date). Prior to the consummation of the sale, LMEH owned approximately 60% of the capital shares of Laureate Somed, while SOMED owned the remaining approximately 40% of the capital shares of Laureate Somed. Laureate Somed is the operator of Université Internationale de Casablanca, a comprehensive campus-based university in Casablanca, Morocco. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, Laureate Somed, in which the Company had a 60% interest, had $11,500 in revenue and $800 in operating loss, which included $1,100 in depreciation and amortization expense. As of March 31, 2018, Laureate Somed had approximately 1,100 students. Conversion of Series A Preferred Stock into Class A Common Stock On April 23, 2018, immediately after the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3 became effective and in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Certificate of Designations of the Company's Series A Preferred Stock, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 20, 2016 (the Certificate of Designations), all of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock were converted into 36,143 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.004 per share. Signing of Sale Agreement for St. Augustine As discussed in Note 4, Assets Held for Sale, on April 24, 2018 we signed an agreement to sell St. Augustine. The transaction value under the Purchase Agreement is $400,000, subject to customary closing adjustments, and the Company expects that the transaction will close in late 2018, subject to required regulatory approvals, including approvals by the U.S. Department of Education and the WASC Senior College and University Commission, and customary closing conditions.

Subsequent Events

Sale of German Operations

On April 12, 2018, LEI European Investments B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (LEI BV), and Laureate International B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (Laureate International), both of which are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Laureate Education, Inc., executed and closed a Sale and Purchase Agreement (the Laureate Germany SPA) with Global University Systems Germany B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (Global University Systems). Pursuant to the Laureate Germany SPA, Global University Systems purchased from LEI BV all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Laureate Germany Holding GmbH and its consolidated institutions, including the University of Applied Sciences Europe and Laureate Academies GmbH (collectively, Laureate Germany), and Laureate International guaranteed the obligations of LEI BV under the Laureate Germany SPA. Upon completion of the sale, LEI BV received gross proceeds of EUR 1,000 (approximately US $1,200 at the date of receipt). In connection with this transaction, the Company contributed capital to Laureate Germany of approximately $3,600, and will pay estimated real estate transfer taxes of approximately $800. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, Laureate Germany had $23,400 in revenue and $22,200 in operating loss, which included an impairment loss of $16,000 and $1,200 in depreciation and amortization expense. As of March 31, 2018, Laureate Germany had approximately 2,600 students.

Sale of Moroccan Operations

As previously reported in our 2017 Form 10-K, on November 29, 2017, Laureate Middle East Holdings B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (LMEH), and La Société Maroc Emirats Arabes Unis de Développement, a Morocco company (SOMED and, together with LMEH, the Sellers), Laureate I B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the Guarantor), and UPM Pédagogique, a Morocco company (the Purchaser), entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the Laureate Somed SPA), pursuant to which the Purchaser agreed to purchase from the Sellers all of the issued and outstanding capital shares of Laureate Somed Holding, a Morocco company (Laureate Somed), for a total transaction value of 500,000 Moroccan Dirhams, and the Guarantor agreed to guarantee certain obligations of LMEH under the Laureate Somed SPA. The transaction closed on April 13, 2018, and LMEH received net proceeds of 300,000 Moroccan Dirhams (approximately US $32,500 at the exchange rate on that date). Prior to the consummation of the sale, LMEH owned approximately 60% of the capital shares of Laureate Somed, while SOMED owned the remaining approximately 40% of the capital shares of Laureate Somed. Laureate Somed is the operator of Université Internationale de Casablanca, a comprehensive campus-based university in Casablanca, Morocco. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, Laureate Somed, in which the Company had a 60% interest, had $11,500 in revenue and $800 in operating loss, which included $1,100 in depreciation and amortization expense. As of March 31, 2018, Laureate Somed had approximately 1,100 students.

Conversion of Series A Preferred Stock into Class A Common Stock

On April 23, 2018, immediately after the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3 became effective and in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Certificate of Designations of the Company's Series A Preferred Stock, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 20, 2016 (the Certificate of Designations), all of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock were converted into 36,143 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.004 per share.

Signing of Sale Agreement for St. Augustine

As discussed in Note 4, Assets Held for Sale, on April 24, 2018 we signed an agreement to sell St. Augustine. The transaction value under the Purchase Agreement is $400,000, subject to customary closing adjustments, and the Company expects that the transaction will close in late 2018, subject to required regulatory approvals, including approvals by the U.S. Department of Education and the WASC Senior College and University Commission, and customary closing conditions.