Shareholders' Equity Shareholders' Equity (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2012	Nov. 30, 2011	Aug. 31, 2012
Balance	$ 924,323,000	$ 1,243,989,000
Treasury stock purchases		(80,682,000)
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plans	1,113,000	1,346,000
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans	0	1,229,000
Net tax effect for stock incentive plans	(4,823,000)	(1,384,000)
Share-based compensation	16,889,000	20,892,000
Currency translation adjustment, net of tax	759,000	(8,357,000)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(48,500,000)
Net income (loss)	133,740,000	147,284,000
Balance	1,020,029,000	1,324,317,000
Net income attributable to Apollo	133,495,000	149,314,000
Change from net income attributable to Apollo and transfer to noncontrolling interest	84,952,000	149,314,000
Carlyle ownership in Apollo Global			14.40%
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	42,500,000	0
Contingent payment	6,000,000
Apollo Group Class A nonvoting common stock [Member] | Repurchases Related To Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Treasury stock purchases	(3,472,000)	(2,400,000)
Common stock [Member] | Apollo Group Class A nonvoting common stock [Member]
Balance	103,000	103,000
Treasury stock purchases	0	0
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plans	0	0
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans	0	0
Net tax effect for stock incentive plans	0	0
Share-based compensation	0	0
Currency translation adjustment, net of tax	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Net income (loss)	0	0
Balance	103,000	103,000
Common stock [Member] | Apollo Group Class B voting common stock [Member]
Balance	1,000	1,000
Treasury stock purchases	0	0
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plans	0	0
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans	0	0
Net tax effect for stock incentive plans	0	0
Share-based compensation	0	0
Currency translation adjustment, net of tax	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Net income (loss)	0	0
Balance	1,000	1,000
Additional paid-in capital [Member]
Balance	93,770,000	68,724,000
Treasury stock purchases	0	0
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plans	(936,000)	(441,000)
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans	(15,046,000)	(8,435,000)
Net tax effect for stock incentive plans	(4,823,000)	(1,384,000)
Share-based compensation	16,889,000	20,892,000
Currency translation adjustment, net of tax	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(48,543,000)	0
Net income (loss)	0	0
Balance	41,311,000	79,356,000
Apollo Group Class A treasury stock [Member]
Balance	(3,878,612,000)	(3,125,175,000)
Treasury stock purchases		(80,682,000)
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plans	2,049,000	1,787,000
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans	15,046,000	9,664,000
Net tax effect for stock incentive plans	0	0
Share-based compensation	0	0
Currency translation adjustment, net of tax	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Net income (loss)	0	0
Balance	(3,864,989,000)	(3,194,406,000)
Apollo Group Class A treasury stock [Member] | Apollo Group Class A nonvoting common stock [Member] | Repurchases Related To Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Treasury stock purchases	(3,472,000)
Retained earnings [Member]
Balance	4,743,150,000	4,320,472,000
Treasury stock purchases	0	0
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plans	0	0
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans	0	0
Net tax effect for stock incentive plans	0	0
Share-based compensation	0	0
Currency translation adjustment, net of tax	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Net income (loss)	133,495,000	149,314,000
Balance	4,876,645,000	4,469,786,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss [Member]
Balance	(30,034,000)	(23,761,000)
Treasury stock purchases	0	0
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plans	0	0
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans	0	0
Net tax effect for stock incentive plans	0	0
Share-based compensation	0	0
Currency translation adjustment, net of tax	732,000	(7,363,000)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(4,886,000)
Net income (loss)	0	0
Balance	(34,188,000)	(31,124,000)
Total Apollo shareholders equity [Member]
Balance	928,378,000	1,240,364,000
Treasury stock purchases		(80,682,000)
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plans	1,113,000	1,346,000
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans	0	1,229,000
Net tax effect for stock incentive plans	(4,823,000)	(1,384,000)
Share-based compensation	16,889,000	20,892,000
Currency translation adjustment, net of tax	732,000	(7,363,000)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(53,429,000)
Net income (loss)	133,495,000	149,314,000
Balance	1,018,883,000	1,323,716,000
Total Apollo shareholders equity [Member] | Apollo Group Class A nonvoting common stock [Member] | Repurchases Related To Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Treasury stock purchases	(3,472,000)
Noncontrolling interests (deficit) [Member]
Balance	(4,055,000)	3,625,000
Treasury stock purchases	0	0
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plans	0	0
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans	0	0
Net tax effect for stock incentive plans	0	0
Share-based compensation	0	0
Currency translation adjustment, net of tax	27,000	(994,000)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	4,929,000
Net income (loss)	245,000	(2,030,000)
Balance	$ 1,146,000	$ 601,000