Condensed Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests (USD $)	Total USD ($)		Redeemable noncontrolling interests [Member] USD ($)	Apollo Education Group Class A nonvoting common stock [Member]	Apollo Education Group Class B voting common stock [Member]	Permanent Equity [Member] USD ($)	Common stock [Member] Apollo Education Group Class A nonvoting common stock [Member] USD ($)	Common stock [Member] Apollo Education Group Class B voting common stock [Member] USD ($)	Additional paid-in capital [Member] USD ($)	Apollo Education Group Class A treasury stock [Member] USD ($)	Retained earnings [Member] USD ($)	Accumulated other comprehensive loss [Member] USD ($)	Total Apollo shareholders' equity [Member] USD ($)	Noncontrolling interests [Member] USD ($)
Balance at Aug. 31, 2012	$ 924,323,000						$ 103,000	$ 1,000	$ 93,770,000	$ (3,878,612,000)	$ 4,743,150,000	$ (30,034,000)	$ 928,378,000	$ (4,055,000)
Treasury stock outstanding (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2012										76,239,000
Shares at Aug. 31, 2012				188,007,000	475,000
Treasury stock purchases (in shares)										159,000
Treasury stock purchases	(3,881,000)									(3,881,000)			(3,881,000)
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plans (in shares)										(93,000)
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plan	2,131,000								(2,591,000)	4,722,000			2,131,000
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans (in shares)										(431,000)
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans	0								(17,735,000)	17,735,000
Net tax effect for stock incentive plans	(8,816,000)								(8,816,000)				(8,816,000)
Share-based compensation	27,515,000								27,515,000				27,515,000
Currency translation adjustment, net of tax	(2,630,000)	[1]										(2,326,000)	(2,326,000)	(304,000)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(48,500,000)								(48,543,000)			(4,886,000)	(53,429,000)	(4,929,000)
Net income (loss)	147,399,000										147,022,000		147,022,000	377,000
Balance at Feb. 28, 2013	1,037,541,000						103,000	1,000	43,600,000	(3,860,036,000)	4,890,172,000	(37,246,000)	1,036,594,000	947,000
Treasury stock outstanding (in shares) at Feb. 28, 2013										75,874,000
Shares at Feb. 28, 2013				188,007,000	475,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests at Aug. 31, 2013	0		0
Balance at Aug. 31, 2013	1,118,009,000						103,000	1,000	0	(3,824,758,000)	4,978,815,000	(36,563,000)	1,117,598,000	411,000
Treasury stock outstanding (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2013										75,182,000
Shares at Aug. 31, 2013				188,007,000	475,000
Treasury stock purchases (in shares)										2,403,000
Treasury stock purchases	(72,237,000)									(72,237,000)			(72,237,000)
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plans (in shares)										(72,000)
Treasury stock issued under stock purchase plan	1,692,000								(1,931,000)	3,623,000			1,692,000
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans (in shares)										(319,000)
Treasury stock issued under stock incentive plans	(101,000)								(13,077,000)	12,978,000	(200,000)		(101,000)
Net tax effect for stock incentive plans	(7,502,000)								(7,502,000)				(7,502,000)
Share-based compensation	22,510,000								22,510,000				22,510,000
Currency translation adjustment, net of tax	7,318,000	[1]	676,000			6,642,000						6,539,000	6,539,000	103,000
Acquisition			51,197,000
Purchase of noncontrolling interest									0
Net income (loss)	113,703,000										113,496,000		113,496,000	207,000
Net income (loss)			(2,485,000)
Net income (loss)	111,218,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests at Feb. 28, 2014	49,388,000		49,388,000
Balance at Feb. 28, 2014	$ 1,182,918,000						$ 103,000	$ 1,000	$ 0	$ (3,880,394,000)	$ 5,092,511,000	$ (30,024,000)	$ 1,182,197,000	$ 721,000
Treasury stock outstanding (in shares) at Feb. 28, 2014										77,194,000
Shares at Feb. 28, 2014				188,007,000	475,000

[1] The tax effect on other comprehensive income during the three and six months ended February 28, 2014 and 2013, respectively, is not significant.