Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Variable Interest Entities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	$ 791,678	$ 992,403	$ 1,320,235	$ 1,593,475
Depreciation and amortization			84,276	97,384
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	(254,780)	217,165	(371,915)	125,136
Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	(307,823)	781,592	(208,208)	972,835
Goodwill			147,714
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents	629,551	209,831	629,551	209,831		$ 339,629
Current assets held for sale	62,312		62,312			83,800
Other current assets	578,331		578,331			519,498
Total current assets	1,270,194		1,270,194			942,927
Goodwill	1,355,585		1,355,585			1,701,495
Tradenames	977,799		977,799			1,119,454
Other intangible assets, net	963		963			1,431
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net	691,631		691,631			861,878
Long-term assets held for sale	187,174		187,174			305,973
Other long-term assets	1,470,331		1,470,331			1,582,470
Total assets	5,953,677		5,953,677			6,515,628
Current liabilities held for sale	50,252		50,252			64,204
Other current liabilities	1,055,916		1,055,916			1,006,600
Long-term operating leases, less current portion	700,944		700,944			792,358
Long-term liabilities held for sale	68,425		68,425			124,914
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	1,785,922		1,785,922			1,711,106
Total liabilities	3,661,459		3,661,459			3,699,182
Total stockholders' equity	2,280,061	3,107,083	2,280,061	3,107,083	$ 2,569,808	2,804,151	$ 2,327,906	$ 2,050,946
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	2,294,191		2,294,191			2,816,963
Brazil
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Goodwill			0
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	296,922		296,922			388,160
Mexico
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Goodwill			0
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	435,828		435,828			525,256
Andean
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Goodwill			147,714
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	76,680		76,680			241,327
Andean | Chile
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Goodwill	147,700
Balance Sheets data:
Tradenames	90,700
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents	215,908		215,908			157,003
Current assets held for sale	17,758		17,758			16,050
Other current assets	159,233		159,233			173,072
Total current assets	392,899		392,899			346,125
Goodwill	31,431		31,431			159,957
Tradenames	0		0			61,691
Other intangible assets, net	0		0			0
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net	34,694		34,694			65,761
Long-term assets held for sale	52,745		52,745			52,519
Other long-term assets	145,992		145,992			262,579
Total assets	657,761		657,761			948,632
Current liabilities held for sale	12,087		12,087			11,741
Other current liabilities	179,078		179,078			130,602
Long-term operating leases, less current portion	52,577		52,577			56,571
Long-term liabilities held for sale	38,545		38,545			29,666
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	35,667		35,667			28,619
Total liabilities	317,954		317,954			257,199
Total stockholders' equity	339,807		339,807			691,433
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	339,807		339,807			691,433
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Andean | Chile
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Goodwill			291,000
Operating Segments | Brazil
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	118,519	197,106	202,200	307,074
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets	834,277		834,277			1,068,362
Operating Segments | Mexico
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	114,864	162,455	269,071	318,919
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets	1,099,565		1,099,565			1,315,377
Operating Segments | Andean
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	345,867	422,994	435,375	561,937
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets	1,345,984		1,345,984			$ 1,715,145
Operating Segments | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	116,035	148,472	152,501	204,922
Depreciation and amortization	5,568	6,890	11,493	12,986
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	(250,611)	44,403	(283,084)	17,069
Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	(249,346)	41,785	(280,021)	17,585
Operating Segments | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Brazil
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	0	(17)	0	(34)
Operating Segments | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Mexico
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	(110)	(99)	(278)	(196)
Operating Segments | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Andean
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	116,035	148,472	152,501	204,922
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	(250,501)	44,519	(282,806)	17,299
Other operations
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Operating (loss) income	(254,780)	217,165	(371,915)	125,136
Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	30,443	699,745	(52,186)	654,533
Corporate and eliminations
Operating (loss) income, by segment:
Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	$ (88,920)	$ 40,062	$ 123,999	$ 300,717