Allowance for Credit Losses and Unfunded Loan Commitments - Age Analysis of Pas Due Loans Delinquencies - Deferment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025	Sep. 30, 2025	Sep. 30, 2025	Dec. 31, 2024
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Financing receivable, modified in period, amount		$ 385,492	$ 475,672	$ 1,001,410
Financing receivable, modified in period, to total financing receivable, percentage		100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Financing receivable, modified in period, subsequently charged off, amount		$ 31,100	$ 34,400	$ 40,400
Private Education Loans
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Financing receivable, modified in period, amount		397,363	492,395	1,035,055
Financing receivable, modified in period, subsequently charged off, amount	$ 12,100	31,100
Loan Deferment
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Financing receivable, modified in period, amount		11,871	16,723	33,645
Loan delinquent, current
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Financing receivable, modified in period, amount		$ 245,827	$ 321,832	$ 826,007
Financing receivable, modified in period, to total financing receivable, percentage		64.00%	68.00%	83.00%
Loan delinquent 30-59 days
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Financing receivable, modified in period, amount		$ 68,363	$ 74,084	$ 77,446
Financing receivable, modified in period, to total financing receivable, percentage		18.00%	15.00%	8.00%
Loan delinquent 60-89 days
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Financing receivable, modified in period, amount		$ 37,704	$ 41,731	$ 43,484
Financing receivable, modified in period, to total financing receivable, percentage		10.00%	9.00%	4.00%
Loan delinquent 90 days or greater past due
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Financing receivable, modified in period, amount		$ 33,598	$ 38,025	$ 54,473
Financing receivable, modified in period, to total financing receivable, percentage		8.00%	8.00%	5.00%

Financing Receivable, Modified in Period, Subsequently Charged Off, Amount

No definition available.

Name:	slm_FinancingReceivableModifiedInPeriodSubsequentlyChargedOffAmount
Namespace Prefix:	slm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of financing receivable modified during period for debtor experiencing financial difficulty to total financing receivables.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationToTotalFinancingReceivablesPercent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amortized cost of financing receivable modified during period for debtor experiencing financial difficulty.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12A
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147481933/310-10-55-12A

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 33
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-33

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 42
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-42

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (d)(4)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (d)(3)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (d)(2)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (d)(1)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 14
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-14

Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (e)(2)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (e)(1)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (b)(4)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (b)(3)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 16: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-12

Reference 17: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 80
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-80

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByIndustryOfCounterpartyTypeAxis=slm_PrivateEducationLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesPeriodPastDueAxis=slm_LoanDefermentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesPeriodPastDueAxis=us-gaap_FinancialAssetNotPastDueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesPeriodPastDueAxis=us-gaap_FinancingReceivables30To59DaysPastDueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesPeriodPastDueAxis=us-gaap_FinancingReceivables60To89DaysPastDueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesPeriodPastDueAxis=us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesEqualToGreaterThan90DaysPastDueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: