Stockholders' Equity - Schedule of Stockholders' Equity (Details) - USD ($) shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	$ 2,327,906,000	$ 2,050,946,000	$ 1,767,473,000	$ 1,587,282,000	$ 2,050,946,000	$ 1,587,282,000
Adoption of accounting standards							$ 28,944,000	$ 5,074,000
Balance, adjusted							2,079,890,000	1,592,356,000
Non-cash stock compensation	4,854,000	3,149,000	7,687,000	(3,756,000)
Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding	170,000	(1,420,000)	(941,000)	(803,000)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders	(731,000)	(625,000)	(1,473,000)	581,000
Change in noncontrolling interests	(3,700,000)		(2,730,000)	(21,043,000)
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	0		(4,650,000)
Accretion of Series A Preferred Stock	194,000		882,000
Reclassification of Series A Preferred Stock upon conversion			238,101,000
Other			(744,000)
Reclassification of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	(855,000)	224,000	(19,000)	38,000
Net income	779,616,000	194,265,000	223,956,000	171,545,000	973,881,000	395,501,000
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax of $0	10,188,000	49,551,000	(196,672,000)	83,369,000	59,739,000	(113,303,000)
Unrealized gain on derivatives, net of tax of $0			10,126,000	2,210,000		12,336,000
Unrealized loss on derivatives, net of tax of $0	(10,559,000)	2,609,000			(7,950,000)
Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax of $0				376,000	0	376,000
Balance, end of period	3,107,083,000	2,327,906,000	2,115,106,000	1,767,473,000	3,107,083,000	2,115,106,000
Foreign currency translation adjustment, tax	0	0	0	0	0	0
Unrealized gain on derivative instruments, tax	0	0	0	0		0
Pension adjustment, tax	0			0	0	0
Additional paid-in capital
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	3,705,787,000	3,703,796,000	3,383,778,000	3,446,206,000	3,703,796,000	3,446,206,000
Balance, adjusted							3,703,796,000	3,446,206,000
Non-cash stock compensation	4,854,000	3,149,000	7,687,000	(3,756,000)
Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding	170,000	(1,421,000)	(942,000)	(804,000)
Change in noncontrolling interests	(3,700,000)			(468,000)
Reclassification of Series A Preferred Stock upon conversion			237,957,000
Balance, end of period	3,707,305,000	3,705,787,000	3,698,822,000	3,383,778,000	3,707,305,000	3,698,822,000
(Accumulated deficit) retained earnings
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	(310,732,000)	(530,919,000)	(772,283,000)	(946,236,000)	(530,919,000)	(946,236,000)
Adoption of accounting standards							28,944,000	5,074,000
Balance, adjusted							(501,975,000)	(941,162,000)
Other			(744,000)
Net income	781,592,000	191,243,000	224,412,000	168,879,000
Balance, end of period	470,860,000	(310,732,000)	(548,615,000)	(772,283,000)	470,860,000	(548,615,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, Laureate Education, Inc
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	(1,060,565,000)	(1,112,695,000)	(839,322,000)	(925,556,000)	(1,112,695,000)	(925,556,000)
Balance, adjusted							(1,112,695,000)	(925,556,000)
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax of $0	10,275,000	49,521,000	(197,143,000)	83,648,000
Unrealized gain on derivatives, net of tax of $0			10,126,000	2,210,000
Unrealized loss on derivatives, net of tax of $0	(10,559,000)	2,609,000
Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax of $0				376,000
Balance, end of period	(1,060,849,000)	(1,060,565,000)	(1,026,339,000)	(839,322,000)	(1,060,849,000)	(1,026,339,000)
Non-controlling interests
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	(7,482,000)	(10,133,000)	(5,451,000)	12,118,000	(10,133,000)	12,118,000
Balance, adjusted							(10,133,000)	12,118,000
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders	(731,000)	(625,000)	(1,473,000)	581,000
Change in noncontrolling interests			(2,730,000)	(20,575,000)
Reclassification of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	(855,000)	224,000	(19,000)	38,000
Net income	(1,976,000)	3,022,000	(456,000)	2,666,000
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax of $0	(87,000)	30,000	471,000	(279,000)
Balance, end of period	$ (11,131,000)	$ (7,482,000)	$ (9,658,000)	$ (5,451,000)	$ (11,131,000)	$ (9,658,000)
Class A Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance of shares outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)		107,450			107,450
Balance of shares outstanding, end of period (in shares)	118,806				118,806
Class A Common Stock | Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance of shares outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)	107,783	107,450	55,256	55,052	107,450	55,052
Balance, beginning of period	$ 431,000	$ 430,000	$ 221,000	$ 220,000	$ 430,000	$ 220,000
Balance, adjusted							430,000	220,000
Conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares (in shares)	10,991	8	27	59
Conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares	$ 44,000
Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding (in shares)	32	325	188	145
Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding		$ 1,000	$ 1,000	$ 1,000
Reclassification of Series A Preferred Stock upon conversion (in shares)			36,143
Reclassification of Series A Preferred Stock upon conversion			$ 144,000
Balance of shares outstanding, end of period (in shares)	118,806	107,783	91,614	55,256	118,806	91,614
Balance, end of period	$ 475,000	$ 431,000	$ 366,000	$ 221,000	$ 475,000	$ 366,000
Class B Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance of shares outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)		116,865			116,865
Balance of shares outstanding, end of period (in shares)	105,866				105,866
Class B Common Stock | Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance of shares outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)	116,857	116,865	132,443	132,443	116,865	132,443
Balance, beginning of period	$ 467,000	$ 467,000	$ 530,000	$ 530,000	$ 467,000	$ 530,000
Balance, adjusted							$ 467,000	$ 530,000
Conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares (in shares)	(10,991)	(8)	(27)	(59)
Conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares	$ (44,000)
Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding (in shares)			0	59
Balance of shares outstanding, end of period (in shares)	105,866	116,857	132,416	132,443	105,866	132,416
Balance, end of period	$ 423,000	$ 467,000	$ 530,000	$ 530,000	$ 423,000	$ 530,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	194,000	263,000	882,000	(76,000)
Accretion of Series A Preferred Stock					457,000	806,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity | Additional paid-in capital
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	$ 194,000	$ 263,000	882,000	(76,000)
Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity			(74,110,000)		$ 0	$ (61,974,000)
Accretion of Series A Preferred Stock			(4,650,000)
Accretion of Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock				$ (57,324,000)
Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock | Additional paid-in capital
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity			$ (74,110,000)