The amount of cash collateral provided by the reporting entity for issued letters of credit.

No definition available.

Name:	esi_CashCollateralForLettersOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	esi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of estimated future guarantee payments to be made under the CUSO Program.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esi_EstimatedFutureGuaranteePaymentsUnderCusoProgram
Namespace Prefix:	esi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of estimated future guarantee payments to be made under the PEAKS Program.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esi_EstimatedFutureGuaranteePaymentUnderPeaksProgram
Namespace Prefix:	esi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total amount paid during the period for guarantee obligations, net of amounts recovered.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esi_GuaranteeObligationsPaymentsNetOfRecoveries
Namespace Prefix:	esi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Payments made under the Guarantee related to the PEAKS Program.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esi_GuaranteePaymentsRelatedToPEAKSProgram
Namespace Prefix:	esi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date on which a letter of credit will terminate.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esi_LetterOfCreditTerminationDate
Namespace Prefix:	esi_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Payments made on behalf of borrowers related to the PEAKS Program.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esi_PaymentsOnBehalfOfBorrowers
Namespace Prefix:	esi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Recoveries From Charged Off Loans Owed Related To Regular Payments Obligation

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esi_RecoveriesFromChargedOffLoansOwedRelatedToRegularPaymentsObligation
Namespace Prefix:	esi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The percentage of the amount of certain issued letters of credit that are required to be collateralized with cash.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esi_RequiredCashCollateralForLettersOfCredit1
Namespace Prefix:	esi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The percentage of the amount of certain issued letters of credit that are required to be collateralized with cash.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	esi_RequiredCashCollateralForLettersOfCredit2
Namespace Prefix:	esi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 55

-Paragraph 8

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584090&loc=d3e28878-108400

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnusualRiskOrUncertaintyLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=esi_TermLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis=esi_CusoRiskShareAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis=esi_PeaksGuaranteeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis=esi_FuturePeriodOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis=esi_FuturePeriodTwoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Risks and Uncertainties - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 04, 2014
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Letter of credit termination date	Nov. 04, 2019
Payments on Behalf of Borrowers	$ 1,832esi_PaymentsOnBehalfOfBorrowers	$ 11,499esi_PaymentsOnBehalfOfBorrowers
Line of Credit [Member]
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Percentage of cash collateral amount equal to face amount	103.00%
Percentage of cash collateral amount equal to face amount of ED Letter of Credit	109.00%
Cash collateral to be provided for letter of credit as of the filing date	89,304
PEAKS Guarantee [Member]
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Payments under PEAK Guarantee	161,100			2,700
Payments on Behalf of Borrowers			1,800
PEAKS Guarantee [Member] \| CUSO [Member]
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Payments under PEAK Guarantee	159,300
Payments on Behalf of Borrowers	1,832
CUSO RSA [Member]
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Net guarantee obligation payments	9,139	2,600
CUSO RSA [Member] \| CUSO [Member]
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Net guarantee obligation payments	9,139
Recoveries from charged-off loans	466
Minimum [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member]
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Percentage of cash collateral amount equal to face amount	103.00%
Percentage of cash collateral amount equal to face amount of ED Letter of Credit	109.00%
2015 [Member] \| PEAKS Guarantee [Member]
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Payments under PEAKS guarantee	29,800
2015 [Member] \| CUSO RSA [Member]
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Recoveries from charged-off loans	1,400
Payments under CUSO Program	13,000
2016 [Member] \| PEAKS Guarantee [Member]
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Payments under PEAKS guarantee	4,300
2016 [Member] \| CUSO RSA [Member]
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Payments under CUSO Program	14,400
Term Loan [Member]
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Cash collateral to be provided for letter of credit as of the filing date				100
Aggregate principal amount	$ 100,000				$ 100,000