Adoption Of New Accounting Pronouncements, Percent Deferred

No definition available.

Name:	slm_AdoptionOfNewAccountingPronouncementsPercentDeferred
Namespace Prefix:	slm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period Of Deferment For Adoption Of New Accounting Pronouncements

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	slm_PeriodOfDefermentForAdoptionOfNewAccountingPronouncements
Namespace Prefix:	slm_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
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_ComplianceWithRegulatoryCapitalRequirementsUnderBankingRegulationsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after allocation of valuation allowances and deferred tax liability, of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible differences and carryforwards, with jurisdictional netting.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120406818&loc=d3e31931-109318

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120406818&loc=d3e31917-109318

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of paid and unpaid cash, stock, and paid-in-kind (PIK) dividends declared, for example, but not limited to, common and preferred stock.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120397183&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 405
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957935&loc=d3e64057-112817

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of allowance for credit loss on financing receivable. Excludes allowance for financing receivable covered under loss sharing agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121611835&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(7)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120398452&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599878&loc=SL82895884-210446

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

+ Details

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

- Definition

The effect of a change in method or methods for calculating the allowance for credit losses on the current period provision.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of expected credit loss for credit exposure on off-balance-sheet commitment, including but not limited to, loan commitment, standby letter of credit, financial guarantee not accounted for as insurance. Excludes off-balance sheet credit exposure accounted for as insurance and instrument accounted for under derivatives and hedging.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121611286&loc=d3e11927-110247

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599878&loc=SL82919202-210446

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=us-gaap_AccountingStandardsUpdate201613Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=slm_SallieMaeBankMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Regulatory Capital - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($)		12 Months Ended
	Jan. 01, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases		$ 1,361,723,000	$ 441,912,000	$ 341,121,000	$ 251,475,000
Allowance for credit losses on unfunded commitments		86,000,000	2,481,000
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Period of deferment	2 years
Amount deferred	2500.00%
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases	$ 1,100,000,000
Allowance for credit losses on unfunded commitments	116,000,000
Deferred tax asset	306,000,000
Reduction to retained earnings	$ 953,000,000
Sallie Mae Bank
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Dividends		$ 579,000,000	$ 254,000,000	$ 0