Marketable Securities (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Cash equivalents fair value	$ 422,838	$ 462,624
Net unrealized holding gain (loss)	(62)	1,551
Net unrealized holding gains (losses), income tax expense (benefit)	(18)	464
Equity securities, gross realized gains	741	1,100	$ 297
Equity securities, gross realized losses	72	250	48
Investment funds sponsored by LSV	107,918	98,433
Securities owned	28,267	34,064
Available for sale debt securities
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities, gross realized losses	1,160	902	493
Available-for-sale securities, gross realized gains	0	0
Investment funds sponsored by LSV
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investment funds sponsored by LSV	6,916	6,166
Gains (losses) from the change in fair value of the funds	$ 750	$ 178	$ 1,101

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Debt Securities, Available For Sale Securities Adjustment Tax

No definition available.

Name:	seic_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossDebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleSecuritiesAdjustmentTax
Namespace Prefix:	seic_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after tax, of accumulated unrealized gain (loss) on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124509347&loc=d3e681-108580

+ Details

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

- Definition

Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of realized gain on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123581744&loc=d3e27357-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleRealizedGain
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of realized loss on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of realized gain from sale of investment in equity security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in net income (FV-NI).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 321
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123583765&loc=SL75117546-209714

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesFvNiRealizedGain
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of realized loss from sale of investment in equity security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in net income (FV-NI).

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

The fair value as of the balance sheet date of firm holdings in debt obligations issued by the US government including short-term Treasury bills, medium-term Treasury notes, and long-term Treasury bonds, as well as debt issued by agencies. Includes both pledged (to counterparties as collateral for financing transactions) and unpledged holdings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 940
-SubTopic 320
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35711157&loc=d3e42546-110969

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsOwnedUSGovernmentAndAgencyObligationsAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term investments classified as other.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(f))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120400017&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherLongTermInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of realized gain (loss) on investment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.3(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120400993&loc=SL114874131-224263

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealizedInvestmentGainsLosses
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_FixedIncomeSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_PrivateEquityFundsForeignMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: