Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate, Increase (Decrease)

No definition available.

Name:	laur_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRateIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	laur_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

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

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

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.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage price of original principal amount of debt at which debt can be redeemed by the issuer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph e
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=75038535&loc=d3e64711-112823

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPricePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash paid for interest, including, but not limited to, capitalized interest and payment to settle zero-coupon bond attributable to accreted interest of debt discount and debt instrument with insignificant coupon interest rate in relation to effective interest rate of borrowing attributable to accreted interest of debt discount; classified as operating and investing activities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98513485&loc=d3e4297-108586

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestPaid
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow for debt initially having maturity due after one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3291-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=laur_SecondAmendedAndRestatedCreditAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=laur_TermLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=laur_AlternateBaseRateABRMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Debt - Amendment to Senior Secured Credit Facility - 2024 Term Loan (Details) $ in Thousands			9 Months Ended
	Feb. 01, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of debt			$ 838,542	$ 2,695,511
Lines of credit \| Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement \| Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of debt	$ 350,000
Cash interest payments	$ 1,239
Repurchase price, percent	1.00%
Lines of credit \| Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement \| Term Loan \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	3.50%	4.50%
Lines of credit \| Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement \| Term Loan \| Alternate Base Rate (ABR)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	2.50%	3.50%
Maximum \| Lines of credit \| Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement \| Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate, increase (decrease)	(0.01)