Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 773,699	$ 778,255	$ 2,367,174	$ 2,397,762
Costs and expenses:
Direct costs	655,627	665,549	2,002,180	2,044,159
General and administrative expenses	72,342	73,680	193,658	194,184
Loss on impairment of assets			470	10,030
Loss on impairment of assets	0	10,030	25,470	10,030
Operating income	45,730	28,996	170,866	149,389
Interest income	3,154	3,502	9,552	9,358
Interest expense	(40,319)	(58,319)	(136,438)	(181,746)
Loss on debt extinguishment	(200)	0	(26,417)	(7,481)
Gain (loss) on derivatives	284	(144)	8,099	92,112
Other income, net	1,038	8,312	9,138	10,815
Foreign currency exchange loss, net	(14,777)	(26,443)	(10,643)	(43,959)
Loss on disposal of subsidiaries	(1,474)	0	(1,474)	0
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of affiliates	(6,564)	(44,096)	22,683	28,488
Income tax (expense) benefit	(21,962)	3,743	(60,677)	(65,129)
Equity in net income of affiliates, net of tax			219	0
Loss from continuing operations	(28,526)	(40,353)	(37,775)	(36,641)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, including tax (expense) benefit	(27,137)	(37,905)	66,472	23,551
Gain (Loss) on sales of discontinued operations, including tax expense	(41,131)	(18,426)	848,390	311,904
Net income (loss)	(96,794)	(96,684)	877,087	298,814
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,568	1,895	522	(315)
Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	(95,226)	(94,789)	877,609	298,499
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	(193)	324	264	(61,403)
Gain upon conversion of Series A convertible redeemable preferred stock			0	74,110
Net loss available to common stockholders	$ (95,419)	$ (94,465)	$ 877,873	$ 311,206
Basic and diluted loss per share:
Loss from continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ (0.13)	$ (0.18)
Loss from discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	(0.30)	(0.24)
Basic and diluted loss per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.43)	$ (0.42)
Basic earnings (loss) per share:
Loss from continuing operations (in dollars per share)			$ (0.17)	$ (0.11)
Income from discontinued operations (in dollars per share)			4.08	1.60
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)			3.91	1.49
Diluted earnings (loss) per share:
Loss from continuing operations (in dollars per share)			(0.17)	(0.17)
Income from discontinued operations (in dollars per share)			4.08	1.60
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)			$ 3.91	$ 1.43