Contingencies - Aggregate Amount of Guarantee Payments, Discharge Payments and Payments on Behalf of Borrowers (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Schedule of Claims and Contingencies [Line Items]
Payments on Behalf of Borrowers	$ 0	$ 3,290	$ 1,832	$ 5,145
Recoveries from Charged-Off Loans	0	0	0	(103)
Total	2,677	3,367	46,380	6,664
PEAKS Program [Member]
Schedule of Claims and Contingencies [Line Items]
PEAKS Guarantee	1,088	0	41,801	1,239
Payments on Behalf of Borrowers	0	3,290	1,832	5,145
2009 RSA [Member]
Schedule of Claims and Contingencies [Line Items]
Regular Payments	1,589	77	2,747	383
Discharge Payments	0	0	0	0
Recoveries from Charged-Off Loans	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ (103)

The amount of guarantee and other payments related to the PEAKS and CUSO Programs.

No definition available.

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

Payments made to third parties to discharge outstanding balances under guarantee obligations.

No definition available.

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

Regular Payments made to third parties under guarantee obligations.

No definition available.

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

Payments made under the Guarantee related to the PEAKS Program.

No definition available.

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

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

No definition available.

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

Schedule of activity of claims and contingencies.

No definition available.

Name:	esi_ScheduleOfClaimsAndContingenciesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	esi_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The cash inflow from loans reinstated and recovered that were previously deemed uncollectible.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromRecoveriesOfLoanPreviouslyChargedOff
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

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

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