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Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2019 USD ($) Segment	Apr. 30, 2018 USD ($)		Apr. 30, 2017 USD ($)
Segment Information [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments | Segment									3
Segment Information [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 491,200	$ 449,400	$ 448,600	$ 410,900	$ 477,300	$ 455,700	$ 451,700	$ 411,400	$ 1,800,069	$ 1,796,103		$ 1,718,530
Corporate Expenses									(168,754)	(183,603)	[1]	(178,531)	[1]
Operating Income	$ 80,100	$ 50,300	$ 57,500	$ 36,100	$ 72,700	$ 65,400	$ 80,800	$ 12,600	223,989	231,461	[1]	211,470	[1]
ASU 2017-07 Member]
Segment Information [Abstract]
Net benefits									8,800	8,100		(5,300)
Operating and Administrative Expenses [Member] | ASU 2017-07 Member]
Segment Information [Abstract]
Net benefits										8,100
Interest and Other Income [Member] | ASU 2017-07 Member]
Segment Information [Abstract]
Net benefits												(5,300)
Research [Member] | Interest and Other Income [Member] | ASU 2017-07 Member]
Segment Information [Abstract]
Net benefits										(4,200)		(1,600)
Publishing [Member] | Interest and Other Income [Member] | ASU 2017-07 Member]
Segment Information [Abstract]
Net benefits										(2,300)		(1,200)
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Information [Abstract]
Revenue									1,800,069	1,796,103	[1]	1,718,530	[1]
Contribution to Profit									392,743	415,064	[1]	390,001	[1]
Operating Segments [Member] | Research [Member]
Segment Information [Abstract]
Revenue									937,313	934,395	[1]	853,489	[1]
Contribution to Profit									258,875	271,326	[1]	250,648	[1]
Operating Segments [Member] | Publishing [Member]
Segment Information [Abstract]
Revenue									574,192	617,648	[1]	633,449	[1]
Contribution to Profit									118,901	121,639	[1]	124,531	[1]
Operating Segments [Member] | Solutions [Member]
Segment Information [Abstract]
Revenue									288,564	244,060	[1]	231,592	[1]
Contribution to Profit									$ 14,967	22,099	[1]	14,822	[1]
Corporate [Member] | Interest and Other Income [Member] | ASU 2017-07 Member]
Segment Information [Abstract]
Net benefits										$ (1,600)		$ 8,100
[1] Due to the retrospective adoption of ASU 2017-07, total net benefits (costs) of $8.1 million and $(5.3) million related to the non-service components of defined benefit and other post-employment benefit plans were reclassified from Operating and Administrative Expenses to Interest Income and Other for the years ended April 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Refer to Note 2, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Recently Issued, and Recently Adopted Accounting Standards," for more information. The impact of the reclassification on Contribution to Profit by segment for the year ended April 30, 2018 was $4.2 million in Research, $2.3 million in Publishing, and $1.6 million in Corporate expenses. The impact of the reclassification on Contribution to Profit by segment for the year ended April 30, 2017 was $1.6 million in Research, $1.2 million in Publishing, and $(8.1) million in Corporate expenses.

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