Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2011 Years	Aug. 31, 2010	Aug. 31, 2009
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill beginning balance	$ 322,159,000	$ 522,358,000
Impairment on discontinued operations	0	(9,400,000)	0
Impairment	(197,674,000)	(165,033,000)
Included in assets held for sale		(3,342,000)
Currency translation adjustment	8,812,000	(22,424,000)
Goodwill ending balance	133,297,000	322,159,000	522,358,000
Goodwill net carrying amount [Abstract]
Gross carrying amount	537,788,000	537,788,000
Accumulated impairments	(382,912,000)	(185,238,000)
Effect of foreign currency translation	(21,579,000)	(30,391,000)
Goodwill	133,297,000	322,159,000	522,358,000
Intangible assets, net	121,117,000	150,593,000
Finite-lived intangibles weighted average useful life	5.2
Amortization expense	14,700,000	24,800,000	9,300,000
Future intangible amortization [Abstract]
2012	8,577,000
2013	4,291,000
2014	1,546,000
2015	475,000
2016	92,000
Thereafter	659,000
Total estimated amortization expense	15,640,000
University Of Phoenix [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill beginning balance	37,018,000	37,018,000
Impairment on discontinued operations		0
Impairment	0	0
Included in assets held for sale		0
Currency translation adjustment	0	0
Goodwill ending balance	37,018,000	37,018,000
Goodwill net carrying amount [Abstract]
Gross carrying amount	37,018,000	37,018,000
Accumulated impairments	0	0
Effect of foreign currency translation	0	0
Goodwill	37,018,000	37,018,000
Excess of fair value over carrying value as percentage of fair value	at least 25%
Bpp Apollo Global [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill beginning balance	241,204,000	421,836,000
Impairment on discontinued operations		0
Impairment	(197,674,000)	(156,321,000)
Included in assets held for sale		0
Currency translation adjustment	7,164,000	(24,311,000)
Goodwill ending balance	50,694,000	241,204,000
Goodwill net carrying amount [Abstract]
Gross carrying amount	425,638,000	425,638,000
Accumulated impairments	(353,995,000)	(156,321,000)
Effect of foreign currency translation	(20,949,000)	(28,113,000)
Goodwill	50,694,000	241,204,000
Intangible assets impairment	22,200,000	19,600,000
Excess of fair value over carrying value as percentage of fair value	approximately 23%
Goodwill discount rate	13.50%	13.00%
Terminal growth rate	3.00%	3.00%
Weighting of discounted cash flow and market-based approaches	80% and 20%	80% and 20%
Goodwill and other intangibles impairment net of tax	213,900,000	170,400,000
Tax benefit on intangibles impairment	6,000,000	5,500,000
Intangible assets, net	110,400,000
Apollo Global Other [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill beginning balance	28,627,000	35,452,000
Impairment on discontinued operations		0
Impairment	0	(8,712,000)
Included in assets held for sale		0
Currency translation adjustment	1,648,000	1,887,000
Goodwill ending balance	30,275,000	28,627,000
Goodwill net carrying amount [Abstract]
Gross carrying amount	39,617,000	39,617,000
Accumulated impairments	(8,712,000)	(8,712,000)
Effect of foreign currency translation	(630,000)	(2,278,000)
Goodwill	30,275,000	28,627,000
Insight Schools [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill beginning balance	0	12,742,000
Impairment on discontinued operations		(9,400,000)
Impairment	0	0
Included in assets held for sale		(3,342,000)
Currency translation adjustment	0	0
Goodwill ending balance	0	0
Goodwill net carrying amount [Abstract]
Goodwill	0	0
Other Schools [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill beginning balance	15,310,000	15,310,000
Impairment on discontinued operations		0
Impairment	0	0
Included in assets held for sale		0
Currency translation adjustment	0	0
Goodwill ending balance	15,310,000	15,310,000
Goodwill net carrying amount [Abstract]
Gross carrying amount	35,515,000	35,515,000
Accumulated impairments	(20,205,000)	(20,205,000)
Effect of foreign currency translation	0	0
Goodwill	15,310,000	15,310,000
Western International University [Member]
Goodwill net carrying amount [Abstract]
Excess of fair value over carrying value as percentage of fair value	at least 25%
Ula Apollo Global [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Impairment		(8,700,000)
Goodwill ending balance	15,600,000
Goodwill net carrying amount [Abstract]
Goodwill	15,600,000
Excess of fair value over carrying value as percentage of fair value	approximately 16%
Goodwill discount rate	16.50%
Terminal growth rate	5.00%
Weighting of discounted cash flow and market-based approaches	80% and 20%
Cffp [Member]
Goodwill net carrying amount [Abstract]
Excess of fair value over carrying value as percentage of fair value	at least 25%
Goodwill discount rate	14.00%
Terminal growth rate	3.00%
Uniacc Apollo Global [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill ending balance	13,100,000
Goodwill net carrying amount [Abstract]
Goodwill	$ 13,100,000
Excess of fair value over carrying value as percentage of fair value	at least 25%
Goodwill discount rate	15.50%
Terminal growth rate	5.00%
Weighting of discounted cash flow and market-based approaches	80% and 20%