Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Variable Interest Entities (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2018 entity	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of VIEs sold | entity	1
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		$ 885,288	$ 855,933
Depreciation and amortization		67,762	64,514
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating loss		(27,459)	(62,866)
Net loss		171,545	(120,353)
Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.		168,879	(122,807)
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents		479,011	856,306	$ 468,733
Current assets held for sale		57,990		102,623
Other current assets		956,214		717,498
Total current assets (includes VIE amounts of $537,880 and $407,315, see Note 2)		1,493,215		1,288,854
Goodwill		1,942,335		1,954,666
Tradenames		1,280,617		1,295,614
Other intangible assets, net		34,095		35,927
Long-term assets held for sale		311,231		392,391
Other long-term assets		2,455,265		2,424,271
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,375,479 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)		7,516,758		7,391,723
Current liabilities held for sale		103,340		176,719
Other current liabilities		1,488,426		1,198,030
Long-term liabilities held for sale		86,853		94,407
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities		3,608,491		3,921,288
Total liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $496,419 and $449,561, see Note 2)		5,287,110		5,390,444
Total stockholders' equity		1,767,473		1,587,282
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.		1,772,924		1,575,164
Brazil
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill		492,674		493,373
Mexico
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill		542,129		503,373
Andean & Iberian
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill		329,883		321,762
Central America & U.S. Campuses
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill		0		58,005
EMEAA
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill		116,909		117,413
Operating Segments | Brazil
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		122,792	116,833
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,375,479 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)		1,270,981		1,256,364
Operating Segments | Mexico
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		155,899	150,859
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,375,479 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)		1,045,381		969,400
Operating Segments | Andean & Iberian
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		216,230	181,151
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,375,479 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)		2,318,081		2,117,317
Operating Segments | Central America & U.S. Campuses
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		79,027	76,371
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,375,479 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)		366,058		376,070
Operating Segments | EMEAA
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		147,034	159,833
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,375,479 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)		870,789		1,022,569
Other operations
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating loss		(27,459)	(62,866)
Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.		(30,590)	30,707
Corporate and eliminations
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.		222,197	(132,578)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents		199,609		231,940
Current assets held for sale		0		22,246
Other current assets		338,271		153,129
Total current assets (includes VIE amounts of $537,880 and $407,315, see Note 2)		537,880		407,315
Goodwill		198,683		192,230
Tradenames		96,949		110,577
Other intangible assets, net		0		0
Long-term assets held for sale		0		185,139
Other long-term assets		541,967		524,318
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,375,479 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)		1,375,479		1,419,579
Current liabilities held for sale		0		64,895
Other current liabilities		425,234		276,252
Long-term liabilities held for sale		0		41,732
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities		71,185		66,682
Total liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $496,419 and $449,561, see Note 2)		496,419		449,561
Total stockholders' equity		879,060		970,018
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.		878,689		$ 948,966
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		131,372	129,899
Depreciation and amortization		11,023	12,823
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating loss		(26,971)	(29,193)
Net loss		(22,468)	(20,112)
Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.		(22,728)	(20,936)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Brazil
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		0	0
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating loss		(18)	(21)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Mexico
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		0	0
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating loss		(157)	(191)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Andean & Iberian
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		55,036	48,311
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating loss		(39,262)	(41,923)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Central America & U.S. Campuses
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		15,140	15,375
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating loss		(305)	1,055
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | EMEAA
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues		61,196	66,213
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating loss		$ 12,771	$ 11,887