Financing Receivables - Allowance For Credit Losses Rollforward (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ (6,395)	$ (6,472)
Charge-offs	490	331
Recoveries	0	(1)
Reclassifications	0	0
Provision	(433)	(703)
Currency adjustments	(139)	(173)
Ending balance	(6,477)	(7,018)
Chile
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(6,108)	(6,107)
Charge-offs	414	331
Recoveries	0	(1)
Reclassifications	0	0
Provision	(361)	(731)
Currency adjustments	(124)	(164)
Ending balance	(6,179)	(6,672)
Other
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(287)	(365)
Charge-offs	76	0
Recoveries	0	0
Reclassifications	0	0
Provision	(72)	28
Currency adjustments	(15)	(9)
Ending balance	$ (298)	$ (346)

Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses, Currency Translation Adjustments

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	laur_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses, Reclassifications

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

A valuation allowance for financing receivables that are expected to be uncollectible.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of recovery of financing receivables doubtful of collection that were previously charged off.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of direct write-downs of financing receivables charged against the allowance.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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- Definition

Amount of expense related loan transactions, lease transactions, credit loss from transactions other than loan and lease transactions, and other loss based on assessment of uncollectability from the counterparty to reduce the account to their net realizable value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.11)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873765&loc=SL114874048-224260

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3602-108585

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