Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 621,796	$ 632,216
Costs and expenses:
Direct costs	652,414	677,535
General and administrative expenses	53,911	47,302
Operating loss	(84,529)	(92,621)
Interest income	3,553	3,268
Interest expense	(54,655)	(63,335)
Loss on debt extinguishment	(10,622)	(7,481)
Gain (loss) on derivatives	5,183	(19,340)
Other income, net	359	2,597
Foreign currency exchange (loss) gain, net	(4,659)	(11,782)
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes	(145,370)	(188,694)
Income tax benefit	35,056	23,059
Loss from continuing operations	(110,314)	(165,635)
Income from discontinued operations, including tax expense of ($9,350) and ($46,382), respectively	56,574	18,853
Gain on sales of discontinued operations, net, including tax benefit of $287 and $20,792, respectively	248,005	318,327
Net income	194,265	171,545
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(3,022)	(2,666)
Net income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	191,243	168,879
Accretion of Series A convertible redeemable preferred stock and other redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	263	(57,403)
Net income available to common stockholders	$ 191,506	$ 111,476
Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share:
Loss from continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ (0.50)	$ (1.20)
Income from discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	1.35	1.79
Basic and diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.85	$ 0.59