Subsequent Events	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events Sale of Kendall As previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, on January 15, 2018, Kendall, an Illinois limited liability company and indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Laureate, The Dining Room at Kendall NFP, an Illinois not for profit corporation, National Louis University, an Illinois not for profit corporation (NLU), and Laureate, solely as guarantor of certain of Kendall’s obligations thereunder, entered into an asset purchase agreement. On August 6, 2018, we closed the transaction and Kendall transferred to NLU certain assets, including all of Kendall's education programs, subject to certain conditions, in exchange for consideration of one dollar. Closing of the transaction was subject to prior receipt of regulatory consents, including those of the U.S. Department of Education and the Higher Learning Commission. As part of the agreement, at closing Laureate paid to NLU $14,000 to support NLU’s construction of facilities for the acquired culinary program on NLU’s campus, subject to possible partial recoupment under specified conditions during the 10-year post-closing period. In addition, at closing Laureate paid approximately $2,100 to NLU for a working capital adjustment and other items provided for under the agreement. This payment will be included in the loss on sale that will be recorded during the third quarter of 2018. Also, at the closing date of the sale, the cease-use criteria were met for a leased building that was not part of the sale transaction and that has a lease term ending in July 2028. Accordingly, during the third quarter, the Company expects to record operating expense and a corresponding liability of approximately $24,000 for the present value of the remaining lease costs, less estimated sublease income. Inti Education Holdings Sdn. Bhd. (Inti Holdings) As previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, on December 11, 2017, Exeter Street Holdings Sdn. Bhd., a Malaysia corporation (Exeter Street), and Laureate Education Asia Limited, a Hong Kong corporation (Laureate Asia), both of which are indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Laureate, entered into a sale purchase agreement with Comprehensive Education Pte. Ltd., a Singapore corporation (Comprehensive, the purchaser) that is an affiliate of Affinity Equity Partners, a private equity firm based in Hong Kong. Under the sale purchase agreement, Comprehensive agreed to purchase from Exeter Street all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of Inti Holdings, and Laureate Asia will guarantee certain obligations of Exeter Street. Inti Holdings is the indirect owner of INTI University and Colleges, a higher education institution with five campuses in Malaysia. In July 2018, the Company received notification from the Malaysian Ministry of Education (Malaysian MOE) that it had denied approval of the proposed sale transaction. Approval by the Malaysian MOE is a condition precedent for completion of the transactions contemplated by the sale purchase agreement. The Company and the purchaser are jointly evaluating options, including the possibility of an appeal to the Malaysian MOE. As of June 30, 2018, Inti Holdings continues to meet the criteria to be classified as held for sale.

Subsequent Events

Sale of Kendall

As previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, on January 15, 2018, Kendall, an Illinois limited liability company and indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Laureate, The Dining Room at Kendall NFP, an Illinois not for profit corporation, National Louis University, an Illinois not for profit corporation (NLU), and Laureate, solely as guarantor of certain of Kendall’s obligations thereunder, entered into an asset purchase agreement. On August 6, 2018, we closed the transaction and Kendall transferred to NLU certain assets, including all of Kendall's education programs, subject to certain conditions, in exchange for consideration of one dollar. Closing of the transaction was subject to prior receipt of regulatory consents, including those of the U.S. Department of Education and the Higher Learning Commission.

As part of the agreement, at closing Laureate paid to NLU $14,000 to support NLU’s construction of facilities for the acquired culinary program on NLU’s campus, subject to possible partial recoupment under specified conditions during the 10-year post-closing period. In addition, at closing Laureate paid approximately $2,100 to NLU for a working capital adjustment and other items provided for under the agreement. This payment will be included in the loss on sale that will be recorded during the third quarter of 2018.

Also, at the closing date of the sale, the cease-use criteria were met for a leased building that was not part of the sale transaction and that has a lease term ending in July 2028. Accordingly, during the third quarter, the Company expects to record operating expense and a corresponding liability of approximately $24,000 for the present value of the remaining lease costs, less estimated sublease income.

Inti Education Holdings Sdn. Bhd. (Inti Holdings)

As previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, on December 11, 2017, Exeter Street Holdings Sdn. Bhd., a Malaysia corporation (Exeter Street), and Laureate Education Asia Limited, a Hong Kong corporation (Laureate Asia), both of which are indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Laureate, entered into a sale purchase agreement with Comprehensive Education Pte. Ltd., a Singapore corporation (Comprehensive, the purchaser) that is an affiliate of Affinity Equity Partners, a private equity firm based in Hong Kong. Under the sale purchase agreement, Comprehensive agreed to purchase from Exeter Street all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of Inti Holdings, and Laureate Asia will guarantee certain obligations of Exeter Street. Inti Holdings is the indirect owner of INTI University and Colleges, a higher education institution with five campuses in Malaysia.

In July 2018, the Company received notification from the Malaysian Ministry of Education (Malaysian MOE) that it had denied approval of the proposed sale transaction. Approval by the Malaysian MOE is a condition precedent for completion of the transactions contemplated by the sale purchase agreement. The Company and the purchaser are jointly evaluating options, including the possibility of an appeal to the Malaysian MOE. As of June 30, 2018, Inti Holdings continues to meet the criteria to be classified as held for sale.