Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Variable Interest Entities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	$ 883,152	$ 773,699	$ 992,403	$ 601,072	$ 892,451	$ 778,255	$ 1,005,229	$ 614,278	$ 3,250,326	$ 3,290,213	$ 3,333,073
Depreciation and amortization									193,356	239,998	264,742
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)	155,254	45,730	217,163	(92,027)	134,481	28,996	218,994	(98,601)	326,120	283,870	235,155
Net income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	60,875	$ (95,226)	$ 781,592	$ 191,243	71,568	$ (94,789)	$ 224,411	$ 168,877	938,484	370,067	91,465
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents	339,629				387,780				339,629	387,780	319,040
Current assets held for sale	83,800				337,686				83,800	337,686
Other current assets	519,498				491,667				519,498	491,667
Total current assets	942,927				1,217,133				942,927	1,217,133
Goodwill	1,701,495				1,707,089				1,701,495	1,707,089	1,825,284
Tradenames	1,119,454				1,126,244				1,119,454	1,126,244
Other intangible assets, net	1,431				25,429				1,431	25,429
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net	861,878				0				861,878	0
Long-term assets held for sale	305,973				1,035,197				305,973	1,035,197
Other long-term assets	1,582,470				1,658,544				1,582,470	1,658,544
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $948,632 and $1,196,813, see Note 2)	6,515,628				6,769,636				6,515,628	6,769,636
Current liabilities held for sale	64,204				321,520				64,204	321,520
Other current liabilities	1,006,600				868,567				1,006,600	868,567
Long-term operating leases, less current portion	792,358				0				792,358	0
Long-term liabilities held for sale	124,914				358,863				124,914	358,863
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	1,711,106				3,155,344				1,711,106	3,155,344
Total liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $257,199 and $274,744, see Note 2)	3,699,182				4,704,294				3,699,182	4,704,294
Total stockholders' equity	2,804,151				2,050,946				2,804,151	2,050,946	1,632,532	$ 664,392
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	2,816,963				2,061,079				2,816,963	2,061,079
Brazil
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	388,160				406,452				388,160	406,452	493,373
Mexico
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	525,256				498,219				525,256	498,219	503,373
Andean
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	241,327				254,259				241,327	254,259	272,181
Operating Segments
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									3,250,326	3,290,213	3,333,073
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $948,632 and $1,196,813, see Note 2)	6,515,628				6,769,636				6,515,628	6,769,636
Operating Segments | Brazil
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									578,449	654,300	765,746
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $948,632 and $1,196,813, see Note 2)	1,068,362				1,011,391				1,068,362	1,011,391
Operating Segments | Mexico
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									652,846	646,134	646,154
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $948,632 and $1,196,813, see Note 2)	1,315,377				971,309				1,315,377	971,309
Operating Segments | Andean
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									1,189,701	1,155,691	1,085,640
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $948,632 and $1,196,813, see Note 2)	1,715,145				1,608,406				1,715,145	1,608,406
Other operations including discontinued operations
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)									326,120	283,870	235,155
Net income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.									840,755	503,149	513,205
Corporate and eliminations
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									5,069	(8,133)	(16,758)
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Net income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.									42,517	(166,281)	(434,775)
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $948,632 and $1,196,813, see Note 2)	918,524				1,673,306				918,524	1,673,306
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									39,005	100,227	123,237
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents	157,003				158,387				157,003	158,387
Current assets held for sale	16,050				183,880				16,050	183,880
Other current assets	173,072				141,346				173,072	141,346
Total current assets	346,125				483,613				346,125	483,613
Goodwill	159,957				168,473				159,957	168,473
Tradenames	61,691				66,929				61,691	66,929
Other intangible assets, net	0				0				0	0
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net	65,761				0				65,761	0
Long-term assets held for sale	52,519				165,087				52,519	165,087
Other long-term assets	262,579				312,711				262,579	312,711
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $948,632 and $1,196,813, see Note 2)	948,632				1,196,813				948,632	1,196,813
Current liabilities held for sale	11,741				101,320				11,741	101,320
Other current liabilities	130,602				106,657				130,602	106,657
Long-term operating leases, less current portion	56,571				0				56,571	0
Long-term liabilities held for sale	29,666				42,265				29,666	42,265
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	28,619				24,502				28,619	24,502
Total liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $257,199 and $274,744, see Note 2)	257,199				274,744				257,199	274,744
Total stockholders' equity	691,433				922,069				691,433	922,069
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	$ 691,433				$ 921,747				691,433	921,747
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									435,705	441,388	418,123
Depreciation and amortization									25,584	25,489	26,899
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)									50,503	9,132	(5,735)
Net income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.									55,212	33,199	13,035
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Brazil
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									0	0	104
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)									20	(71)	(1)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Mexico
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									57	94	0
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)									(333)	(489)	(876)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Andean
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues									435,648	441,294	418,019
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)									$ 50,816	$ 9,692	$ (4,858)