Laureate Education (LAUR) 10-Q 8 Nov 18 2018 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018shares
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2018
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,018
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Trading Symbol	LAUR
Entity Registrant Name	LAUREATE EDUCATION, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	912,766
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Small Business	false
Class A Common Stock
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	91,654,217
Class B Common Stock
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	132,386,666

Consolidated Statements of Oper

Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 787,102	$ 818,601	$ 2,436,514	$ 2,434,687
Costs and expenses:
Direct costs	677,816	728,743	2,081,125	2,110,901
General and administrative expenses	73,680	64,999	194,184	221,909
Loss on impairment of assets	10,030	0	10,030	0
Operating income	25,576	24,859	151,175	101,877
Interest income	3,502	3,677	9,358	9,702
Interest expense	(58,319)	(69,103)	(181,764)	(256,677)
Loss on debt extinguishment			(7,481)	(8,425)
Gain (loss) on derivatives	(144)	(19,930)	92,112	19,187
Other income (expense), net	8,312	(778)	10,815	(568)
Foreign currency exchange (loss) gain, net	(26,492)	6,624	(43,942)	(2,221)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of affiliates	(47,565)	(54,651)	30,273	(137,125)
Income tax benefit (expense)	3,773	(12,530)	(65,822)	(13,668)
Equity in net income of affiliates, net of tax			0	1
Loss from continuing operations	(43,792)	(67,181)	(35,549)	(150,792)
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax benefit (expense)	(34,466)	(36,309)	22,459	44,047
Gain (loss) on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax expense (benefit)	(18,426)	0	311,904	0
Net income (loss)	(96,684)	(103,490)	298,814	(106,745)
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,895	5,531	(315)	2,365
Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	(94,789)	(97,959)	298,499	(104,380)
Accretion of Series A convertible redeemable preferred stock and other redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	324	(84,060)	(61,403)	(192,141)
Gain upon conversion of Series A convertible redeemable preferred stock			74,110	0
Net income (loss) available to common stockholders	$ (94,465)	$ (182,019)	$ 311,206	$ (296,521)
Basic and diluted loss per share:
Loss from continuing operations (in USD per share)	$ (0.18)	$ (0.82)
Loss from discontinued operations (in USD per share)	(0.24)	(0.20)
Basic and diluted loss per share (in USD per share)	$ (0.42)	$ (1.02)
Basic earnings (loss) per share:
Income (loss) from continuing operations (in USD per share)			$ (0.10)	$ (2.03)
Income from discontinued operations (in USD per share)			1.59	0.26
Basic earnings (loss) per share (in USD per share)			1.49	(1.77)
Diluted earnings (loss) per share:
Loss from continuing operations (in USD per share)			(0.16)	(2.03)
Income from discontinued operations (in USD per share)			1.59	0.26
Diluted earnings per share (in USD per share)			$ 1.43	$ (1.77)

Consolidated Statements of Op_2

Consolidated Statements of Operations (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Income Statement [Abstract]
Discontinued operations, tax benefit (expense)	$ 2,905	$ (1,329)	$ (39,712)	$ (15,125)
Gain on sales of discontinued operations, tax expense (benefit)	$ 2,694	$ 0	$ (18,097)	$ 0

Consolidated Statements of Comp

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	$ (96,684)	$ (103,490)	$ 298,814	$ (106,745)
Other comprehensive (loss) income:
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax	(52,750)	64,742	(166,052)	196,593
Unrealized (loss) gain on derivative instruments, net of tax	(560)	525	11,776	6,625
Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax			376	0
Total other comprehensive (loss) income	(53,310)	65,267	(153,900)	203,218
Comprehensive (loss) income	(149,994)	(38,223)	144,914	96,473
Net comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	1,683	4,065	(719)	10
Comprehensive (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	$ (148,311)	$ (34,158)	$ 144,195	$ 96,483

Consolidated Statements of Co_2

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Parenthetical) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Foreign currency translation adjustment, tax	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Unrealized gain on derivative instruments, tax	$ 0	$ 0	0	0
Minimum pension liability adjustment, tax			$ 0	$ 0

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents (includes VIE amounts of $146,927 and $100,971, see Note 2)	$ 392,348	$ 320,567
Restricted cash	196,790	212,215
Receivables:
Accounts and notes receivable	571,240	474,456
Other receivables	17,500	15,175
Allowance for doubtful accounts	(164,101)	(178,566)
Receivables, net	424,639	311,065
Income tax receivable	16,454	38,231
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	77,554	81,948
Current assets held for sale	346,702	324,668
Total current assets (includes VIE amounts of $642,133 and $407,315, see Note 2)	1,454,487	1,288,694
Notes receivable, net	12,171	3,528
Property and equipment:
Land	229,455	243,179
Buildings	642,040	669,973
Furniture, equipment and software	961,712	977,382
Leasehold improvements	359,466	366,735
Construction in-progress	45,792	62,474
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(980,778)	(939,326)
Property and equipment, net	1,257,687	1,380,417
Land use rights, net	1,631	1,572
Goodwill	1,709,586	1,828,365
Other intangible assets:
Tradenames	1,130,186	1,167,302
Other intangible assets, net	25,455	35,779
Deferred costs, net	65,896	60,931
Deferred income taxes	150,530	152,398
Derivative instruments	682	48,186
Other assets	174,881	199,441
Long-term assets held for sale	1,007,344	1,224,672
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,334,870 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	6,990,536	7,391,285
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	51,395	70,137
Accrued expenses	269,255	239,620
Accrued compensation and benefits	173,718	215,760
Deferred revenue and student deposits	465,290	184,116
Current portion of long-term debt	104,502	121,870
Current portion of due to shareholders of acquired companies	23,065	34,745
Income taxes payable	13,713	20,553
Derivative instruments	35	4,458
Other current liabilities	42,063	31,761
Current liabilities held for sale	394,229	451,569
Total current liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $314,860 and $341,147, see Note 2)	1,537,265	1,374,589
Long-term debt, less current portion	2,505,498	2,973,396
Due to shareholders of acquired companies, less current portion	20,045	37,040
Deferred compensation	13,383	14,470
Income taxes payable	73,275	106,062
Deferred income taxes	257,083	247,371
Derivative instruments	7,258	9,390
Other long-term liabilities	239,053	221,941
Long-term liabilities held for sale	353,338	405,747
Total liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $382,380 and $449,561, see Note 2)	5,006,198	5,390,006
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share – 49,889 and 49,488 shares authorized as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, no shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	3,705,707	3,446,206
Accumulated deficit	(643,407)	(946,236)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,079,860)	(925,556)
Total Laureate Education, Inc. stockholders' equity	1,983,336	1,575,164
Noncontrolling interests	(11,669)	12,118
Total stockholders' equity	1,971,667	1,587,282
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	6,990,536	7,391,285
Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock
Current liabilities:
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	0	400,276
Redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity
Current liabilities:
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	12,671	13,721
Class A Common Stock
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	366	220
Class B Common Stock
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	$ 530	$ 530

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 392,348	$ 320,567
Current assets	1,454,487	1,288,694
Assets	6,990,536	7,391,285
Current liabilities	1,537,265	1,374,589
Liabilities	$ 5,006,198	$ 5,390,006
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)	49,889,000	49,488,000
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	0	0
Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock
Convertible redeemable preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Convertible redeemable preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)	111,000	512,000
Convertible redeemable preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)	0	401,000
Convertible redeemable preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	0	401,000
Class A Common Stock
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.004	$ 0.004
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	700,000,000	700,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	91,654,000	55,052,000
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	91,654,000	55,052,000
Class B Common Stock
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.004	$ 0.004
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	175,000,000	175,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	132,387,000	132,443,000
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	132,387,000	132,443,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 146,927	$ 100,971
Current assets	642,133	407,315
Assets	1,334,870	1,419,579
Current liabilities	314,860	341,147
Liabilities	$ 382,380	$ 449,561

Consolidated Statements of Cash

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income (loss)	$ 298,814	$ (106,745)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	189,961	199,394
Loss on impairment of assets	10,030	0
(Gain) loss on sales of subsidiaries and disposal of property and equipment, net	(292,999)	3,050
Gain on derivative instruments	(92,749)	(19,621)
Proceeds from settlement of derivative contracts	14,117	0
Loss on debt extinguishment	7,481	8,425
Non-cash interest expense	14,651	29,809
Interest paid on deferred purchase price for acquisitions	0	(39,419)
Non-cash share-based compensation expense	10,492	43,969
Bad debt expense	83,029	88,677
Deferred income taxes	(389)	(21,787)
Unrealized foreign currency exchange loss	53,731	4,852
Non-cash (gain) loss from non-income tax contingencies	(843)	4,032
Other, net	(11,607)	1,637
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Receivables	(288,747)	(344,661)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(50,919)	(69,843)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(6,263)	14,624
Income tax receivable/payable, net	(10,084)	(19,815)
Deferred revenue and other liabilities	428,664	435,173
Net cash provided by operating activities	356,370	211,751
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of property and equipment	(150,458)	(134,629)
Expenditures for deferred costs	(13,182)	(12,712)
Receipts from sales of discontinued operations and property and equipment, net of cash sold	375,792	1,180
Settlement of derivatives related to sale of discontinued operations	(9,960)	0
Proceeds from corporate-owned life insurance and property insurance recoveries	24,641	370
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	(835)
Payments (to) from related parties and investments in affiliates	(8)	349
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	226,825	(146,277)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt, net of original issue discount	383,594	2,349,673
Payments on long-term debt	(838,542)	(2,695,511)
Payments of deferred purchase price for acquisitions	(17,588)	(93,813)
Payments to purchase noncontrolling interests	(127)	0
Proceeds from issuance of convertible redeemable preferred stock, net of issuance costs	0	55,290
Payment of dividends on Series A Preferred Stock	(11,103)	(5,252)
Proceeds from initial public offering, net of issuance costs	0	456,359
Withholding of shares to satisfy tax withholding for vested stock awards	(1,744)	(1,725)
Payments of debt issuance costs and redemption and call premiums for debt modification	(490)	(76,523)
Noncontrolling interest holder's loan to subsidiaries	0	943
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders	(912)	(847)
Net cash used in financing activities	(486,912)	(11,406)
Effects of exchange rate changes on Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash	(4,535)	25,965
Change in cash included in current assets held for sale	(35,392)	(68,100)
Net change in Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash	56,356	11,933
Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash at beginning of period	532,782	474,337
Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash at end of period	$ 589,138	$ 486,270

Description of Business

Description of Business	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business	Description of Business Laureate Education, Inc. and subsidiaries (hereinafter Laureate, we, us, our, or the Company) provide higher education programs and services to students through an international network of licensed universities and higher education institutions (institutions). Laureate's programs are provided through institutions that are campus-based and internet-based, or through electronically distributed educational programs (online). On October 1, 2015, we redomiciled in Delaware as a public benefit corporation as a demonstration of our long-term commitment to our mission to benefit our students and society. The Company's shares are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol ‘‘LAUR’’. In its initial public offering (IPO) on February 6, 2017 , the Company sold 35,000 shares of its Class A common stock in the IPO at a price of $14.00 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company during the first quarter of 2017, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by us, of $456,359 . On August 9, 2018 , the Company announced that it plans to divest additional subsidiaries located in Europe, Asia and Central America, which are included in the Rest of World (formerly called EMEAA), Andean (formerly called Andean & Iberian), and Central America & U.S. Campuses segments. Previously, the Company had announced the divestiture of certain subsidiaries in the Rest of World and Central America & U.S. Campuses segments. After completing all of these announced divestitures, the Company’s remaining principal markets will be Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru, along with the Online & Partnerships segment and the institutions in Australia and New Zealand. This represents a strategic shift that will have a major effect on the Company's operations and financial results. Accordingly, all of the divestitures that are part of this strategic shift, including the divestitures announced on August 9, 2018 and those announced previously, are now accounted for as discontinued operations for all periods presented in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 205-20, ‘‘Discontinued Operations’’ (ASC 205). See Note 4 , Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale , for more information. Unless indicated otherwise, the information in the footnotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements relates to continuing operations. The accompanying unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In our opinion, these financial statements include all adjustments considered necessary to present a fair statement of our consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows. Operating results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. These unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with Laureate's audited Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 (the 2017 Form 10-K) .

Significant Accounting Policies

Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies	Significant Accounting Policies The Variable Interest Entity (VIE) Arrangements Laureate consolidates in its financial statements certain internationally based educational organizations that do not have shares or other equity ownership interests. Although these educational organizations may be considered not-for-profit entities in their home countries and they are operated in compliance with their respective not-for-profit legal regimes, we believe they do not meet the definition of a not-for-profit entity under GAAP, and therefore we treat them as "for-profit" entities for accounting purposes. These entities generally cannot declare dividends or distribute their net assets to the entities that control them. Under ASC 810-10, ‘‘Consolidation,’’ we have determined that these institutions are VIEs and that Laureate is the primary beneficiary of these VIEs because we have, as further described herein: (1) the power to direct the activities of the VIEs that most significantly affect their educational and economic performance and (2) the right to receive economic benefits from contractual and other arrangements with the VIEs that could potentially be significant to the VIEs. We account for the acquisition of the right to control a VIE in accordance with ASC 805, "Business Combinations." The VIEs in Brazil and Mexico comprise several not-for-profit foundations that have insignificant revenues and operating expenses. Selected Consolidated Statements of Operations information for VIEs that are included in continuing operations was as follows, net of the charges related to the above-described contractual arrangements: For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Selected Statements of Operations information: Revenues, by segment: Brazil $ — $ 11 $ — $ 57 Mexico 4 — 89 — Andean 119,884 114,494 325,423 300,385 Revenues 119,888 114,505 325,512 300,442 Depreciation and amortization 6,163 6,626 19,398 20,397 Operating income (loss), by segment: Brazil (16 ) (23 ) (56 ) (30 ) Mexico (121 ) (163 ) (349 ) (516 ) Andean 12,954 6,613 7,714 (3,545 ) Operating income (loss) 12,817 6,427 7,309 (4,091 ) Net income 18,812 10,928 22,860 8,308 Net income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. 18,812 10,928 22,860 8,308 The following table reconciles the Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. as presented in the table above, to the amounts in our Consolidated Statements of Operations: For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.: Variable interest entities $ 18,812 $ 10,928 $ 22,860 $ 8,308 Other operations 21,564 40,366 241,920 278,804 Corporate and eliminations (135,165 ) (149,253 ) 33,719 (391,492 ) Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. $ (94,789 ) $ (97,959 ) $ 298,499 $ (104,380 ) The following table presents selected assets and liabilities of the consolidated VIEs. Except for Goodwill, the assets in the table below include the assets that can be used only to settle the obligations for the VIEs. The liabilities in the table are liabilities for which the creditors of the VIEs do not have recourse to the general credit of Laureate. Selected Consolidated Balance Sheet amounts for these VIEs were as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 VIE Consolidated VIE Consolidated Balance Sheets data: Cash and cash equivalents $ 146,927 $ 392,348 $ 100,971 $ 320,567 Current assets held for sale 170,886 346,702 170,229 324,668 Other current assets 324,320 715,437 136,115 643,459 Total current assets 642,133 1,454,487 407,315 1,288,694 Goodwill 174,600 1,709,586 183,812 1,828,365 Tradenames 69,107 1,130,186 74,484 1,167,302 Other intangible assets, net — 25,455 — 35,779 Long-term assets held for sale 151,310 1,007,344 369,375 1,224,672 Other long-term assets 297,720 1,663,478 384,593 1,846,473 Total assets 1,334,870 6,990,536 1,419,579 7,391,285 Current liabilities held for sale 114,569 394,229 183,166 451,569 Other current liabilities 200,291 1,143,036 157,981 923,020 Long-term liabilities held for sale 38,696 353,338 84,760 405,747 Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities 28,824 3,115,595 23,654 3,609,670 Total liabilities 382,380 5,006,198 449,561 5,390,006 Total stockholders' equity 952,490 1,971,667 970,018 1,587,282 Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. 952,317 1,983,336 948,966 1,575,164 On January 24, 2018, a new Higher Education Law (the New Law) was passed by the Chilean Congress. On March 27, 2018, the Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional Article 63 of the New Law, which would have prohibited for-profit organizations such as Laureate from controlling the boards of universities in Chile. The Constitutional Court released its opinion on April 26, 2018, and signature and enactment of the New Law occurred in May 2018. Among other things left intact by the Constitutional Court, the New Law prohibits conflicts of interests and related party transactions with certain exceptions, including the provision of services that are educational in nature or essential for the university's purposes. The New Law provides for a transition period. The incoming Chilean presidential administration, which took office on March 11, 2018, has the responsibility to implement the new legislative mandates and compliance processes. The Company is reviewing the impact the New Law will have on its Chilean operations, including the extent to which it will affect existing contractual relationships that the Company maintains with the Chilean non-profit universities. As the New Law no longer contains provisions that prohibit Laureate from controlling the boards of the Chilean non-profit universities, but still requires the promulgation of new regulations and procedures that will be applicable to any commercial relationship that the Company has with the Chilean non-profit universities, the Company has determined that it will continue to consolidate the three Chilean non-profit universities, which are accounted for as variable interest entities, and its Chilean real estate subsidiary. While we believe that all of our institutions in Chile are operating in full compliance with Chilean law, we cannot predict the extent or outcome of any educational reforms that may be implemented in Chile. The Company does not believe the New Law will change its relationship with its two tech/voc institutions in Chile that are for-profit entities. However, it is possible that the Chilean government will adopt additional laws that affect for-profit tech/voc institutions and their relationships with their owners. Depending upon how these reforms are defined and implemented, there could be a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivables are deemed to be uncollectible when they have been outstanding for two years , or earlier when collection efforts have ceased, at which time they are written off. Prior to that, Laureate records an allowance for doubtful accounts to reduce our receivables to their net realizable value. Our allowance estimation methodology is based on the age of the receivables, the status of past-due amounts, historical collection trends, current economic conditions and student enrollment status. In the event that current collection trends differ from historical trends, an adjustment is made to the allowance account and bad debt expense. The reconciliations of the beginning and ending balances of the Allowance for doubtful accounts were as follows: For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Balance at beginning of period $ 182,965 $ 169,014 Additions: charges to bad debt expense 74,969 79,408 Deductions (a) (90,494 ) (68,155 ) Balance at end of period $ 167,440 $ 180,267 (a) Deductions includes accounts receivable written off against the allowance (net of recoveries), reclassifications, and foreign currency translation. The beginning and ending balances of the Allowance for doubtful accounts include the current portion, as shown on the face of Consolidated Balance Sheets, in addition to the noncurrent portion that is included in Notes receivable, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Impairment of Long-lived Assets Effective September 30, 2018, the University of Liverpool (Liverpool), an institution in our Online & Partnerships segment, elected not to renew its institutional partnership agreement and therefore the existing agreement will terminate in April 2021. Accordingly, Liverpool will stop enrolling new students and will begin a teach-out process that is expected to be completed in April 2021. As a result, during the third quarter of 2018, we recorded an impairment charge of $10,030 related to fixed assets of this entity that are no longer recoverable based on expected future cash flows. Because Liverpool does not meet the criteria to be classified as held-for-sale or a discontinued operation, its results are reported within continuing operations for all periods presented. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, (ASU 2014-09), Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) On May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU 2014-09, which, along with amendments issued in 2015 and 2016, supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605, ‘‘Revenue Recognition’’ and most industry-specific guidance. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. We adopted Topic 606 as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method and elected to apply the standard only to contracts that were not completed as of that date. We recorded a net increase to opening retained earnings of approximately $1,400 as of January 1, 2018 due to the cumulative impact of adopting Topic 606, with the impact primarily related to the deferral of costs to obtain a contract which were previously expensed as incurred. The impact to revenues as a result of applying Topic 606 was an increase of $2,577 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 . In accordance with the requirements under Topic 606, the impact of adoption on our Consolidated Statement of Operations and Consolidated Balance Sheet was as follows: For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 As Reported Balances Without Adoption of ASC 606 Effect of Change Higher/(Lower) Statement of Operations data: Revenues $ 2,436,514 $ 2,433,937 $ 2,577 Costs and Expenses: Direct costs 2,081,125 2,084,654 (3,529 ) Income tax expense (65,822 ) (65,786 ) (36 ) Net income 298,814 292,743 6,071 As of September 30, 2018 As Reported Balances Without Adoption of ASC 606 Effect of Change Higher/(Lower) Balance Sheet data: Assets: Deferred costs, net $ 65,896 $ 60,949 $ 4,947 Liabilities: Deferred revenue and student deposits 465,290 467,867 (2,577 ) Deferred income taxes 257,083 257,047 36 Equity: Accumulated deficit (643,407 ) (650,895 ) 7,488 ASU No. 2016-15 (ASU 2016-15), Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15 in order to address the diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows under Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows, and other Topics. This standard addresses the following eight specific cash flow issues: debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing; contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies (COLIs) (including bank-owned life insurance policies (BOLIs)); distributions received from equity method investees; beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. The amendments in this update apply to all entities, including both business entities and not-for-profit entities that are required to present a statement of cash flows under Topic 230. The Company adopted this standard beginning January 1, 2018. Because this standard requires retrospective application, for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 we have reclassified from operating activities to financing activities approximately $65,000 of redemption and call premiums that were paid in connection with a debt modification that was completed during the second quarter of 2017. ASU No. 2016-16 (ASU 2016-16), Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16 in order to improve the accounting for income tax consequences for intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. Prior to adopting this ASU, the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity transfer was prohibited until the asset was sold to a third party. The amendments in this ASU state that an entity should recognize income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer when the transfer occurs. This aligns the recognition of income tax consequences for intra-entity transfers of assets with International Financing Reporting Standards (IFRS). Laureate adopted ASU 2016-16 effective January 1, 2018 and recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings of approximately $2,900 . ASU No. 2016-18 (ASU 2016-18), Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18 in order to address the diversity that exists in the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows under Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows. The amendments in this ASU require that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this ASU apply to all entities that have restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents and are required to present a statement of cash flows under Topic 230. This ASU was adopted by Laureate beginning January 1, 2018 and resulted in a change in presentation within the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. As required, Laureate retrospectively applied the guidance to the prior period presented, which resulted in an increase of $1,743 in operating cash flows and an increase of $3,921 in investing cash flows on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 . As required by the ASU, we have provided a reconciliation from cash and cash equivalents as presented on our Consolidated Balance Sheets to cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash as reported on our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. See Note 20 , Supplemental Cash Flow Information , for this reconciliation, as well as a discussion of the nature of our restricted cash balances. ASU No. 2017-07 (ASU 2017-07), Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07 in order to improve the presentation of net periodic pension cost and net periodic post retirement benefit cost. Prior to adoption of this ASU, these costs comprised several components that reflected different aspects of an employer's financial arrangements as well as the cost of benefits provided to employees, and were aggregated for reporting purposes. Under the amendments in this ASU, the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost is disaggregated and reported in the same line item(s) as other compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period, and the remaining components are presented on the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations, if presented. Laureate adopted ASU 2017-07 on January 1, 2018. Because the effect of ASU 2017-07 on prior periods presented was insignificant, we did not revise the Consolidated Statement of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 . For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 , the impact on our Consolidated Statement of Operations was immaterial to the Company. Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted ASU No. 2016-02 (ASU 2016-02), Leases (Topic 842) On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02. Lessees will need to recognize on their balance sheet a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for virtually all of their leases (other than leases that meet the definition of a short-term lease). The liability will be equal to the present value of the lease payments. The asset will be based on the liability, subject to adjustment, such as for initial direct costs and uneven rent payments. For income statement purposes, the FASB retained a dual model, requiring leases to be classified as either operating or finance. Operating leases will result in straight-line expense (similar to current operating leases) while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern (similar to current capital leases). Classification will be based on criteria that are largely similar to those applied in current lease accounting, but without explicit bright lines. The standard is effective for Laureate beginning January 1, 2019. During the third quarter of 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, ‘‘Leases (Topic 842): Targeted improvements,’’ which provides companies with an additional, optional transition method to adopt the new lease requirements by allowing entities to apply the requirements by recognizing a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. As a result, a company's reporting for the comparative periods presented in the financial statements in which the company adopts the new lease requirements would continue to be in accordance with current GAAP (ASC Topic 840). A company electing this optional transition method must provide the required Topic 840 disclosures for all periods that continue to be in accordance with Topic 840. The amendments do not change the existing disclosure requirements in Topic 840 and do not create any interim disclosure requirements that companies previously were not required to provide. We plan to elect this optional transition method. We have completed our diagnostic assessment and have established a cross-functional implementation team which is in the process of identifying changes to our accounting policies, business processes, systems and internal controls in preparation for the implementation. We anticipate that ASU 2016-02 will have a material impact on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, as we will record significant asset and liability balances in connection with our leased properties. We are still evaluating the impact to our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Cash Flows.

Revenue

Revenue	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue	Revenue Revenue Recognition Laureate's revenues primarily consist of tuition and educational service revenues. We also generate other revenues from student fees, dormitory/residency fees and other education-related activities. These other revenues are less material to our overall financial results and have a tendency to trend with tuition revenues. Revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. These revenues are recognized net of scholarships and other discounts, refunds, waivers and the fair value of any guarantees made by Laureate related to student financing programs. Laureate's institutions have various billing and academic cycles. We determine revenue recognition through the five-step model prescribed by Topic 606 as follows: • Identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer; • Identification of the performance obligations in the contract; • Determination of the transaction price; • Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and • Recognition of revenue when, or as, we satisfy a performance obligation. We assess collectibility on a portfolio basis prior to recording revenue. Generally, students cannot re-enroll for the next academic session without satisfactory resolution of any past-due amounts. If a student withdraws from an institution, Laureate's obligation to issue a refund depends on the refund policy at that institution and the timing of the student's withdrawal. Generally, our refund obligations are reduced over the course of the academic term. We record refunds as a reduction of deferred revenue as applicable. As discussed in Note 1 , Description of Business , during the quarter ended September 30, 2018, a number of our subsidiaries met the requirements to be classified as discontinued operations, including the entire Central America & U.S. Campuses segment . As a result, the operations of the Central America & U.S. Campuses segment have been excluded from the segment information for all periods presented. In addition, the portions of the Andean and Rest of World reportable segments that are included in discontinued operations have also been excluded from the segment information for all periods presented. The following table shows the components of Revenues by reportable segment and as a percentage of total net revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2018 : Brazil Mexico Andean Rest of World Online & Partnerships Corporate (1) Total Tuition and educational services $ 196,670 $ 158,602 $ 312,274 $ 57,768 $ 180,063 $ — $ 905,377 115 % Other 2,272 23,676 22,594 3,112 13,767 (3,694 ) 61,727 8 % Gross revenue 198,942 182,278 334,868 60,880 193,830 (3,694 ) 967,104 123 % Less: Discounts / waivers / scholarships (77,853 ) (33,953 ) (35,255 ) (4,332 ) (28,609 ) — (180,002 ) (23 )% Total $ 121,089 $ 148,325 $ 299,613 $ 56,548 $ 165,221 $ (3,694 ) $ 787,102 100 % (1) Includes the elimination of intersegment revenues. The following table shows the components of Revenues by reportable segment and as a percentage of total net revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 : Brazil Mexico Andean Rest of World Online & Partnerships Corporate (1) Total Tuition and educational services $ 741,945 $ 499,876 $ 889,290 $ 174,192 $ 541,681 $ — $ 2,846,984 117 % Other 7,974 68,905 59,523 8,350 40,500 (9,418 ) 175,834 7 % Gross revenue 749,919 568,781 948,813 182,542 582,181 (9,418 ) 3,022,818 124 % Less: Discounts / waivers / scholarships (280,439 ) (104,913 ) (104,600 ) (12,378 ) (83,974 ) — (586,304 ) (24 )% Total $ 469,480 $ 463,868 $ 844,213 $ 170,164 $ 498,207 $ (9,418 ) $ 2,436,514 100 % (1) Includes the elimination of intersegment revenues. Performance Obligations A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer and is the unit of accounting in ASC Topic 606. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation identified in the arrangement based on the relative standalone selling price of each distinct good or service in the contract and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. The primary method used to estimate standalone selling price is the adjusted market assessment approach, under which we evaluate the market and estimate the price that a customer would be willing to pay for the goods and services we provide. Our performance obligations are primarily satisfied over time during the course of an academic semester or academic year. Laureate's transaction price is determined based on gross price, net of scholarships and other discounts, refunds, waivers and the fair value of any guarantees made by Laureate related to student financing programs. The majority of our revenue is derived from tuition and educational services agreements with students, and thus, is recognized over time on a weekly straight-line basis over each academic session. We view the knowledge gained by the student as the benefit which the student receives during the academic sessions. We use the output method to recognize tuition and educational services revenue as this method faithfully depicts our performance toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation. Dormitory/residency revenues, which are included in the Other line item in the table above, are recognized over time throughout the occupancy period using the output method based on the proportional period of time elapsed which faithfully depicts our performance toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation. We have elected the optional exemption to not disclose amounts where the performance obligation is part of a contract that has an original expected duration of one year or less. We expect to recognize substantially all revenue on these remaining performance obligations over the next 12 months . Contract Balances The timing of billings, cash collections and revenue recognition results in accounts receivable (contract assets) and deferred revenue and student deposits (contract liabilities) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We have various billing and academic cycles and recognize student receivables when an academic session begins, although students generally enroll in courses prior to the start of the academic session. Receivables are recognized only to the extent that it is probable that we will collect substantially all of the consideration to which we are entitled in exchange for the goods and services that will be transferred to the student. We receive advance payments or deposits from our students before revenue is recognized, which are recorded as contract liabilities in deferred revenue and student deposits. Payment terms vary by university with some universities requiring payment in advance of the academic session and other universities allowing students to pay in installments over the term of the academic session. All of our contract assets are considered accounts receivable and are included within the Accounts and notes receivable balance in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Total accounts receivable from our contracts with students were $571,240 and $474,456 as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. The increase in the contract assets balance at September 30, 2018 compared to December 31, 2017 is primarily driven by our enrollment cycles. The first and third calendar quarters generally coincide with the primary and secondary intakes for some of our larger institutions. All contract asset amounts are classified as current. Contract liabilities in the amount of $465,290 and $184,116 were included within the Deferred revenue and student deposits balance in the current liabilities section of the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. The increase in the contract liability balance during the period ended September 30, 2018 is the result of semester billings and cash payments received in advance of satisfying performance obligations, offset by revenue recognized during that period. Revenue recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 that was included in the contract liability balance at the beginning of the year was approximately $166,000 . Costs to Obtain a Contract Certain commissions and bonuses earned by third party agents and our employees are considered incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer. These costs are deferred and then amortized over the period of benefit which ranges from two to four years. We determined the expected period of benefit, by university, as the expected student enrollment period. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the asset balances were approximately $8,300 and $0 , respectively, and the accumulated amortization balances were approximately $3,400 and $0 , respectively, both of which are included in Deferred costs, net , in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. The associated operating cost of approximately $3,400 was recorded in Direct costs in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 . We also pay certain commissions and bonuses where the period of benefit is one year or less . We have elected the practical expedient available in ASC 340-40 whereby any incremental costs of obtaining a contract are recognized as an expense when incurred if the amortization period of the asset that would have been recognized is one year or less . Practical Expedients and Optional Exemptions We elected to adopt this standard using the modified retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of adoption recognized at the initial date of application. We have elected to apply the standard only to contracts that are not completed at the initial date of application. As noted above, we recognize the incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a student as an expense when incurred in instances where the amortization period of the asset that we would have recognized is one year or less . We have made an accounting policy election to exclude from the measurement of the transaction price all taxes assessed by governmental authorities that are both imposed on and concurrent with specific revenue-producing transactions and collected by the entity from our customers (e.g., sales, use, value added and excise taxes).

Discontinued Operations and Ass

Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale	Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale As discussed in Note 1 , Description of Business , on August 9, 2018, the Company announced that it plans to focus on its principal markets and will divest of its other markets . The principal markets that will remain (the Continuing Operations) include Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Peru, along with the Online & Partnerships segment and the institutions in Australia and New Zealand. The markets to be divested ( the Discontinued Operations) include the institutions in Portugal and Spain, which are part of the Andean segment, all remaining institutions in the Central America & U.S. Campuses segment, and all remaining institutions in the Rest of World segment, except for Australia, New Zealand and the managed institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and China. Included in the Discontinued Operations are seven VIE institutions. The divestitures are expected to create a more focused and simplified business model and generate proceeds that will be used for further repayment of long-term debt. The timing and ability to complete any of these transactions is uncertain and will be subject to market and other conditions, which may include regulatory approvals and consents of third parties. As described in Note 5 , Dispositions , several sale transactions have already closed during 2018. Summarized operating results and cash flows of the Discontinued Operations are presented in the following tables: For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Revenues $ 635,223 $ 682,079 Depreciation and amortization 26,632 46,885 Share-based compensation expense 920 1,755 Other direct costs 526,706 560,028 Operating income 80,965 73,411 Other non-operating expense (18,794 ) (14,239 ) Pretax income of discontinued operations 62,171 59,172 Income tax expense (39,712 ) (15,125 ) Income from discontinued operations, net of tax $ 22,459 $ 44,047 Operating cash flows of discontinued operations $ 148,251 $ 153,707 Investing cash flows of discontinued operations $ (38,876 ) $ (25,056 ) Financing cash flows of discontinued operations $ (15,284 ) $ (34,909 ) For the three months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Revenues $ 151,430 $ 164,793 Depreciation and amortization 6,321 15,994 Share-based compensation expense 173 679 Other direct costs 176,686 178,675 Operating loss (31,750 ) (30,555 ) Other non-operating expense (5,621 ) (4,425 ) Pretax loss of discontinued operations (37,371 ) (34,980 ) Income tax benefit (expense) 2,905 (1,329 ) Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax $ (34,466 ) $ (36,309 ) The assets and liabilities of the Discontinued Operations, which are subject to finalization, have been classified as held for sale as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , in accordance with ASC 205. The assets and liabilities are recorded at the lower of their carrying values or their estimated 'fair values less costs to sell.' In addition to the Discontinued Operations, UniNorte, an institution in the Brazil segment, has also been classified as held for sale as of September 30, 2018 . UniNorte is included in Continuing Operations as it is not part of the strategic shift described above. The carrying amounts of the major classes of assets and liabilities that were classified as held for sale are presented in the following tables: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Assets of Discontinued Operations Cash and cash equivalents $ 209,148 $ 197,898 Receivables, net 85,298 83,045 Property and equipment, net 637,639 830,408 Goodwill 131,958 159,042 Tradenames 126,292 156,746 Other assets 97,829 122,201 Subtotal: assets of Discontinued Operations $ 1,288,164 $ 1,549,340 Other assets classified as held for sale: UniNorte Brazil Receivables, net $ 8,311 $ — Property and equipment, net 15,254 — Goodwill 21,665 — Tradenames 7,664 — Other assets 12,988 — Subtotal: other assets classified as held for sale $ 65,882 $ — Total assets held for sale $ 1,354,046 $ 1,549,340 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Liabilities of Discontinued Operations Deferred revenue and student deposits $ 211,086 $ 223,163 Long-term debt, including current portion 275,024 319,473 Other liabilities 243,223 314,680 Subtotal: liabilities of Discontinued Operations $ 729,333 $ 857,316 Other liabilities classified as held for sale: UniNorte Brazil Deferred revenue and student deposits $ 1,598 $ — Long-term debt, including current portion 4,973 — Other liabilities 11,663 — Subtotal: other liabilities classified as held for sale $ 18,234 $ — Total liabilities held for sale $ 747,567 $ 857,316 Sale Agreements Signed in 2018 and Pending Closure University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, LLC (St. Augustine) On April 24, 2018 , the Company and Exeter Street Holdings, LLC (the St. Augustine Seller) and St. Augustine, both of which are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company, entered into a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (the St. Augustine Purchase Agreement) with University of St. Augustine Acquisition Corp. (the St. Augustine Purchaser), an affiliate of Altas Partners LP. Pursuant to the St. Augustine Purchase Agreement, the St. Augustine Purchaser will purchase from the St. Augustine Seller all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of St. Augustine. As of September 30, 2018 , St. Augustine is included in the Discontinued Operations and has been classified as held for sale on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. The transaction value under the St. Augustine Purchase Agreement is $400,000 , subject to customary closing adjustments, and the parties expect that the transaction will close in late 2018, subject to required regulatory approvals, including approvals by the U.S. Department of Education and the WASC Senior College and University Commission, and customary closing conditions. Monash South Africa On September 7, 2018, LEI AMEA Investments BV (the Monash Seller), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, The Independent Institute of Education Proprietary Limited (the Monash Purchaser), Advtech Limited (the Monash Purchaser Guarantor), Monash South Africa Limited (our majority-owned institution) and Monash University (a noncontrolling interest holder) entered into agreements whereby the Monash Purchaser will acquire the Company's operations in South Africa, including real estate and our institution in South Africa. The total transaction value is approximately 343,000 South African Rand (approximately $23,900 at September 30, 2018 ), subject to working capital and other adjustments, and closing is expected to occur in late 2018 or early 2019, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Dispositions Sale of Cyprus and Italy Operations As previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, on January 11, 2018 , we completed the sale of European University-Cyprus Ltd (EUC) and Laureate Italy S.r.L. (Laureate Italy). Upon closing, we received gross proceeds of approximately 232,000 Euros (EUR) (approximately US $275,500 , or approximately US $244,300 net of cash sold and net of the approximately $4,100 working capital settlement between the Company and the buyer that was completed during the second quarter of 2018), and recognized a total gain on sale for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 of approximately $218,000 , which is included in Gain on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company used the proceeds from this transaction, along with borrowings on our revolving credit facility that were subsequently repaid with the China sale proceeds discussed below, to repay $350,000 of principal balance on our syndicated term loan that matures in April 2024 (the 2024 Term Loan), as discussed in Note 9 , Debt . Sale of China Operations As previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, on January 25, 2018 , we completed the sale of LEI Lie Ying Limited (LEILY). At closing, the Company received initial gross proceeds totaling approximately $128,800 (approximately $110,800 net of cash sold), net of banker transaction fees and certain taxes and duties totaling approximately $16,000 . Six months after the closing date, the buyer was required to pay to the Company the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) equivalent of Chinese Renminbi (RMB) 120,000 (the First Holdback Payment). On July 27, 2018, the Company received the First Holdback Payment from the buyer, net of withholding taxes and agreed-upon legal fees, for a net payment of HKD 142,221 or $18,117 at the date of receipt, prior to banker transaction fees. Twelve months after the closing date, the buyer is required to pay to the Company the HKD equivalent of RMB 60,000 (the Second Holdback Payment, approximately US $9,000 at September 30, 2018 ). Both the First Holdback Payment and the Second Holdback Payment are subject to deduction of any indemnifiable losses payable by the Company to the buyer pursuant to the sale purchase agreement. The remainder of the transaction value was paid into an escrow account and will be distributed to the Company pursuant to the terms and conditions of the escrow agreement. As of September 30, 2018 , the Company has recorded a receivable for the Second Holdback Payment, as well as a receivable of approximately $25,900 for the portion of the escrowed amount that the Company expects to receive. In addition, the Company has recorded a liability of approximately $15,000 related to loss contingencies for which we have indemnified the buyer. The Company recognized a gain on the sale of LEILY for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 of approximately $99,500 , including tax effect, which is included in Gain on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Sale of German Operations On April 12, 2018, LEI European Investments B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (LEI BV), and Laureate International B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (Laureate International), both of which are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Laureate Education, Inc., executed and closed a Sale and Purchase Agreement (the Laureate Germany SPA) with Global University Systems Germany B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (Global University Systems). Pursuant to the Laureate Germany SPA, Global University Systems purchased from LEI BV all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Laureate Germany Holding GmbH and its consolidated institutions, including the University of Applied Sciences Europe and Laureate Academies GmbH (collectively, Laureate Germany), and Laureate International guaranteed the obligations of LEI BV under the Laureate Germany SPA. Upon completion of the sale, LEI BV received gross proceeds of EUR 1,000 (approximately US $1,200 at the date of receipt). At the date of sale, Laureate Germany had approximately $12,900 of cash and restricted cash on its balance sheet. In connection with this transaction, the Company contributed capital to Laureate Germany of approximately $3,600 , and expects to pay estimated real estate transfer taxes of approximately $400 . The Company recognized a loss on the sale of Laureate Germany for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 of approximately $5,500 , which is included in Gain on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Sale of Moroccan Operations As previously reported in our 2017 Form 10-K, on November 29, 2017, Laureate Middle East Holdings B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (LMEH), and La Société Maroc Emirats Arabes Unis de Développement, a Morocco company (SOMED and, together with LMEH, the Sellers), Laureate I B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the Guarantor), and UPM Pédagogique, a Morocco company (the Purchaser), entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the Laureate Somed SPA), pursuant to which the Purchaser agreed to purchase from the Sellers all of the issued and outstanding capital shares of Laureate Somed Holding, a Morocco company (Laureate Somed), for a total transaction value of 500,000 Moroccan Dirhams, and the Guarantor agreed to guarantee certain obligations of LMEH under the Laureate Somed SPA. The transaction closed on April 13, 2018 , and LMEH received net proceeds of 300,000 Moroccan Dirhams (approximately US $32,500 at the date of sale, or approximately $31,100 net of cash sold). The proceeds were used for general debt repayment across the Company rather than repayment of a specific tranche. Prior to the consummation of the sale, LMEH owned approximately 60% of the capital shares of Laureate Somed, while SOMED owned the remaining approximately 40% of the capital shares of Laureate Somed. Laureate Somed is the operator of Université Internationale de Casablanca, a comprehensive campus-based university in Casablanca, Morocco. The Company recognized a gain on the sale of Laureate Somed of approximately $17,400 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 , which is included in Gain on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Sale of Kendall College, LLC As previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, on January 15, 2018, Kendall College, LLC (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 was included in the loss on sale, which totaled approximately $17,000 , including tax effect, and is included in gain/loss on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. 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 of 2018, the Company recorded a liability of approximately $24,000 for the present value of the remaining lease costs, less estimated sublease income, which was charged to loss from discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Dispositions

Dispositions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Dispositions	Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale As discussed in Note 1 , Description of Business , on August 9, 2018, the Company announced that it plans to focus on its principal markets and will divest of its other markets . The principal markets that will remain (the Continuing Operations) include Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Peru, along with the Online & Partnerships segment and the institutions in Australia and New Zealand. The markets to be divested ( the Discontinued Operations) include the institutions in Portugal and Spain, which are part of the Andean segment, all remaining institutions in the Central America & U.S. Campuses segment, and all remaining institutions in the Rest of World segment, except for Australia, New Zealand and the managed institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and China. Included in the Discontinued Operations are seven VIE institutions. The divestitures are expected to create a more focused and simplified business model and generate proceeds that will be used for further repayment of long-term debt. The timing and ability to complete any of these transactions is uncertain and will be subject to market and other conditions, which may include regulatory approvals and consents of third parties. As described in Note 5 , Dispositions , several sale transactions have already closed during 2018. Summarized operating results and cash flows of the Discontinued Operations are presented in the following tables: For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Revenues $ 635,223 $ 682,079 Depreciation and amortization 26,632 46,885 Share-based compensation expense 920 1,755 Other direct costs 526,706 560,028 Operating income 80,965 73,411 Other non-operating expense (18,794 ) (14,239 ) Pretax income of discontinued operations 62,171 59,172 Income tax expense (39,712 ) (15,125 ) Income from discontinued operations, net of tax $ 22,459 $ 44,047 Operating cash flows of discontinued operations $ 148,251 $ 153,707 Investing cash flows of discontinued operations $ (38,876 ) $ (25,056 ) Financing cash flows of discontinued operations $ (15,284 ) $ (34,909 ) For the three months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Revenues $ 151,430 $ 164,793 Depreciation and amortization 6,321 15,994 Share-based compensation expense 173 679 Other direct costs 176,686 178,675 Operating loss (31,750 ) (30,555 ) Other non-operating expense (5,621 ) (4,425 ) Pretax loss of discontinued operations (37,371 ) (34,980 ) Income tax benefit (expense) 2,905 (1,329 ) Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax $ (34,466 ) $ (36,309 ) The assets and liabilities of the Discontinued Operations, which are subject to finalization, have been classified as held for sale as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , in accordance with ASC 205. The assets and liabilities are recorded at the lower of their carrying values or their estimated 'fair values less costs to sell.' In addition to the Discontinued Operations, UniNorte, an institution in the Brazil segment, has also been classified as held for sale as of September 30, 2018 . UniNorte is included in Continuing Operations as it is not part of the strategic shift described above. The carrying amounts of the major classes of assets and liabilities that were classified as held for sale are presented in the following tables: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Assets of Discontinued Operations Cash and cash equivalents $ 209,148 $ 197,898 Receivables, net 85,298 83,045 Property and equipment, net 637,639 830,408 Goodwill 131,958 159,042 Tradenames 126,292 156,746 Other assets 97,829 122,201 Subtotal: assets of Discontinued Operations $ 1,288,164 $ 1,549,340 Other assets classified as held for sale: UniNorte Brazil Receivables, net $ 8,311 $ — Property and equipment, net 15,254 — Goodwill 21,665 — Tradenames 7,664 — Other assets 12,988 — Subtotal: other assets classified as held for sale $ 65,882 $ — Total assets held for sale $ 1,354,046 $ 1,549,340 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Liabilities of Discontinued Operations Deferred revenue and student deposits $ 211,086 $ 223,163 Long-term debt, including current portion 275,024 319,473 Other liabilities 243,223 314,680 Subtotal: liabilities of Discontinued Operations $ 729,333 $ 857,316 Other liabilities classified as held for sale: UniNorte Brazil Deferred revenue and student deposits $ 1,598 $ — Long-term debt, including current portion 4,973 — Other liabilities 11,663 — Subtotal: other liabilities classified as held for sale $ 18,234 $ — Total liabilities held for sale $ 747,567 $ 857,316 Sale Agreements Signed in 2018 and Pending Closure University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, LLC (St. Augustine) On April 24, 2018 , the Company and Exeter Street Holdings, LLC (the St. Augustine Seller) and St. Augustine, both of which are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company, entered into a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (the St. Augustine Purchase Agreement) with University of St. Augustine Acquisition Corp. (the St. Augustine Purchaser), an affiliate of Altas Partners LP. Pursuant to the St. Augustine Purchase Agreement, the St. Augustine Purchaser will purchase from the St. Augustine Seller all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of St. Augustine. As of September 30, 2018 , St. Augustine is included in the Discontinued Operations and has been classified as held for sale on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. The transaction value under the St. Augustine Purchase Agreement is $400,000 , subject to customary closing adjustments, and the parties expect that the transaction will close in late 2018, subject to required regulatory approvals, including approvals by the U.S. Department of Education and the WASC Senior College and University Commission, and customary closing conditions. Monash South Africa On September 7, 2018, LEI AMEA Investments BV (the Monash Seller), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, The Independent Institute of Education Proprietary Limited (the Monash Purchaser), Advtech Limited (the Monash Purchaser Guarantor), Monash South Africa Limited (our majority-owned institution) and Monash University (a noncontrolling interest holder) entered into agreements whereby the Monash Purchaser will acquire the Company's operations in South Africa, including real estate and our institution in South Africa. The total transaction value is approximately 343,000 South African Rand (approximately $23,900 at September 30, 2018 ), subject to working capital and other adjustments, and closing is expected to occur in late 2018 or early 2019, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Dispositions Sale of Cyprus and Italy Operations As previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, on January 11, 2018 , we completed the sale of European University-Cyprus Ltd (EUC) and Laureate Italy S.r.L. (Laureate Italy). Upon closing, we received gross proceeds of approximately 232,000 Euros (EUR) (approximately US $275,500 , or approximately US $244,300 net of cash sold and net of the approximately $4,100 working capital settlement between the Company and the buyer that was completed during the second quarter of 2018), and recognized a total gain on sale for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 of approximately $218,000 , which is included in Gain on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company used the proceeds from this transaction, along with borrowings on our revolving credit facility that were subsequently repaid with the China sale proceeds discussed below, to repay $350,000 of principal balance on our syndicated term loan that matures in April 2024 (the 2024 Term Loan), as discussed in Note 9 , Debt . Sale of China Operations As previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, on January 25, 2018 , we completed the sale of LEI Lie Ying Limited (LEILY). At closing, the Company received initial gross proceeds totaling approximately $128,800 (approximately $110,800 net of cash sold), net of banker transaction fees and certain taxes and duties totaling approximately $16,000 . Six months after the closing date, the buyer was required to pay to the Company the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) equivalent of Chinese Renminbi (RMB) 120,000 (the First Holdback Payment). On July 27, 2018, the Company received the First Holdback Payment from the buyer, net of withholding taxes and agreed-upon legal fees, for a net payment of HKD 142,221 or $18,117 at the date of receipt, prior to banker transaction fees. Twelve months after the closing date, the buyer is required to pay to the Company the HKD equivalent of RMB 60,000 (the Second Holdback Payment, approximately US $9,000 at September 30, 2018 ). Both the First Holdback Payment and the Second Holdback Payment are subject to deduction of any indemnifiable losses payable by the Company to the buyer pursuant to the sale purchase agreement. The remainder of the transaction value was paid into an escrow account and will be distributed to the Company pursuant to the terms and conditions of the escrow agreement. As of September 30, 2018 , the Company has recorded a receivable for the Second Holdback Payment, as well as a receivable of approximately $25,900 for the portion of the escrowed amount that the Company expects to receive. In addition, the Company has recorded a liability of approximately $15,000 related to loss contingencies for which we have indemnified the buyer. The Company recognized a gain on the sale of LEILY for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 of approximately $99,500 , including tax effect, which is included in Gain on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Sale of German Operations On April 12, 2018, LEI European Investments B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (LEI BV), and Laureate International B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (Laureate International), both of which are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Laureate Education, Inc., executed and closed a Sale and Purchase Agreement (the Laureate Germany SPA) with Global University Systems Germany B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company (Global University Systems). Pursuant to the Laureate Germany SPA, Global University Systems purchased from LEI BV all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Laureate Germany Holding GmbH and its consolidated institutions, including the University of Applied Sciences Europe and Laureate Academies GmbH (collectively, Laureate Germany), and Laureate International guaranteed the obligations of LEI BV under the Laureate Germany SPA. Upon completion of the sale, LEI BV received gross proceeds of EUR 1,000 (approximately US $1,200 at the date of receipt). At the date of sale, Laureate Germany had approximately $12,900 of cash and restricted cash on its balance sheet. In connection with this transaction, the Company contributed capital to Laureate Germany of approximately $3,600 , and expects to pay estimated real estate transfer taxes of approximately $400 . The Company recognized a loss on the sale of Laureate Germany for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 of approximately $5,500 , which is included in Gain on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Sale of Moroccan Operations As previously reported in our 2017 Form 10-K, on November 29, 2017, Laureate Middle East Holdings B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (LMEH), and La Société Maroc Emirats Arabes Unis de Développement, a Morocco company (SOMED and, together with LMEH, the Sellers), Laureate I B.V., a Netherlands private limited liability company and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the Guarantor), and UPM Pédagogique, a Morocco company (the Purchaser), entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the Laureate Somed SPA), pursuant to which the Purchaser agreed to purchase from the Sellers all of the issued and outstanding capital shares of Laureate Somed Holding, a Morocco company (Laureate Somed), for a total transaction value of 500,000 Moroccan Dirhams, and the Guarantor agreed to guarantee certain obligations of LMEH under the Laureate Somed SPA. The transaction closed on April 13, 2018 , and LMEH received net proceeds of 300,000 Moroccan Dirhams (approximately US $32,500 at the date of sale, or approximately $31,100 net of cash sold). The proceeds were used for general debt repayment across the Company rather than repayment of a specific tranche. Prior to the consummation of the sale, LMEH owned approximately 60% of the capital shares of Laureate Somed, while SOMED owned the remaining approximately 40% of the capital shares of Laureate Somed. Laureate Somed is the operator of Université Internationale de Casablanca, a comprehensive campus-based university in Casablanca, Morocco. The Company recognized a gain on the sale of Laureate Somed of approximately $17,400 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 , which is included in Gain on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Sale of Kendall College, LLC As previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, on January 15, 2018, Kendall College, LLC (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 was included in the loss on sale, which totaled approximately $17,000 , including tax effect, and is included in gain/loss on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. 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 of 2018, the Company recorded a liability of approximately $24,000 for the present value of the remaining lease costs, less estimated sublease income, which was charged to loss from discontinued operations, net of tax, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Due to Shareholders of Acquired

Due to Shareholders of Acquired Companies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Due to Shareholders of Acquired Companies	Due to Shareholders of Acquired Companies The amounts due to shareholders of acquired companies generally arise in connection with Laureate’s acquisition of a majority or all of the ownership interest of these companies. Promissory notes payable to the sellers of acquired companies, referred to as “seller notes,” are commonly used as a means of payment for business acquisitions. Seller note payments are classified as Payments of deferred purchase price for acquisitions within financing activities in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The amounts due to shareholders of acquired companies, currencies, and interest rates applied were as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Nominal Currency Interest Universidade Anhembi Morumbi (UAM Brazil) $ 28,577 $ 45,206 BRL CDI + 2% University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, LLC 11,550 11,550 USD 7% Faculdade Porto-Alegrense (FAPA) 1,806 3,084 BRL IGP-M IADE Group 1,177 2,374 EUR 3% Monash South Africa (MSA) — 9,571 AUD n/a Total due to shareholders of acquired companies 43,110 71,785 Less: Current portion of due to shareholders of acquired companies 23,065 34,745 Due to shareholders of acquired companies, less current portion $ 20,045 $ 37,040 BRL: Brazilian Real CDI: Certificados de Depósitos Interbancários (Brazil) USD: United States Dollar IGP-M: General Index of Market Prices (Brazil) EUR: European Euro AUD: Australian Dollar MSA During the second quarter of 2018, the conditions required for resolution of the MSA earnout were completed and the seller note liability, which was recorded on a corporate entity, was reversed as the criteria for payment was not met.

Business and Geographic Segment

Business and Geographic Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Business and Geographic Segment Information	Business and Geographic Segment Information Laureate’s educational services are offered through six operating segments: Brazil, Mexico, Andean, Central America & U.S. Campuses, Rest of World and Online & Partnerships. Laureate determines its operating segments based on information utilized by the chief operating decision maker to allocate resources and assess performance. Our campus-based segments generate revenues by providing an education that emphasizes professional-oriented fields of study with undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines. Our educational offerings are increasingly utilizing online and hybrid (a combination of online and in-classroom) courses and programs to deliver their curriculum. Many of our largest campus-based operations are in developing markets which are experiencing a growing demand for higher education based on favorable demographics and increasing secondary completion rates, driving increases in participation rates and resulting in continued growth in the number of higher education students. Traditional higher education students (defined as 18-24 year olds) have historically been served by public universities, which have limited capacity and are often underfunded, resulting in an inability to meet the growing student demand and employer requirements. This supply and demand imbalance has created a market opportunity for private sector participants. Most students finance their own education. However, there are some government-sponsored student financing programs which are discussed below. These campus-based segments include Brazil, Mexico, Andean, Central America & U.S. Campuses and Rest of World. Specifics related to each of these campus-based segments and our Online & Partnerships segment are discussed below: In Brazil, approximately 75% of post-secondary students are enrolled in private higher education institutions. While the federal government defines the national curricular guidelines, institutions are licensed to operate by city. Laureate owns 13 institutions in eight states throughout Brazil, with a particularly strong presence in the competitive São Paulo market. Many students finance their own education while others rely on the government-sponsored programs such as Prouni and FIES. Public universities in Mexico enroll approximately two thirds of students attending post-secondary education. However, many public institutions are faced with capacity constraints or the quality of the education is considered low. Laureate owns two institutions and is present throughout the country with a footprint of over 40 campuses. Each institution in Mexico has a national license. Students in our Mexican institutions typically finance their own education. The Andean segment includes institutions in Chile, Peru, Portugal and Spain. In Chile, private universities enroll approximately 80% of post-secondary students. In Peru, the public sector plays a significant role, but private universities are increasingly providing the capacity to meet growing demand. In Spain and Portugal, the high demand for post-secondary education places capacity constraints on the public sector, pushing students to turn to the private sector for high-quality education. Chile has government-sponsored student financing programs, while in the other countries students generally finance their own education. The institutions in Portugal and Spain are included in Discontinued Operations . The Central America & U.S. Campuses segment includes institutions in Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and the United States. Students in Central America typically finance their own education while students in the United States finance their education in a variety of ways, including U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Title IV programs. The entire Central America & U.S. Campuses segment is included in Discontinued Operations . The Rest of World segment includes an institution in the European country of Turkey, as well as locations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific consisting of campus-based institutions with operations in Australia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa and Thailand. Additionally, the Rest of World segment manages eight licensed institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and manages one additional institution in China through a joint venture arrangement. T he institutions in the Rest of World segment are included in Discontinued Operations, except for Australia, New Zealand and the managed institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and China. The Online & Partnerships segment includes fully online institutions operating globally that offer professionally oriented degree programs in the United States through Walden University (Walden), a U.S.-based accredited institution, and through the University of Liverpool and the University of Roehampton in the United Kingdom. These online institutions primarily serve working adults with undergraduate and graduate degree program offerings. Students in the United States finance their education in a variety of ways, including Title IV programs. As discussed in Note 1 , Description of Business and Note 4 , Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale , during the quarter ended September 30, 2018 , a number of our subsidiaries met the requirements to be classified as discontinued operations, including the entire Central America & U.S. Campuses segment . As a result, the operations of the Central America & U.S. Campuses segment have been excluded from the segment information for all periods presented. In addition, the portions of the Andean and Rest of World reportable segments that are included in discontinued operations have also been excluded from the segment information for all periods presented. Intersegment transactions are accounted for in a similar manner as third-party transactions and are eliminated in consolidation. The Corporate amounts presented in the following tables includes corporate charges that were not allocated to our reportable segments and adjustments to eliminate intersegment items. We evaluate segment performance based on Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP performance measure defined as Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of affiliates, adding back the following items: Gain (loss) on sales of subsidiaries, net , Foreign currency exchange loss, net , Other income (expense), net , Gain on derivatives , Loss on debt extinguishment , Interest expense , Interest income , Depreciation and amortization expense, Loss on impairment of assets, Share-based compensation expense and expenses related to our Excellence-in-Process (EiP) initiative. EiP is an enterprise-wide initiative to optimize and standardize Laureate’s processes, creating vertical integration of procurement, information technology, finance, accounting and human resources. It includes the establishment of regional shared services organizations (SSOs) around the world, as well as improvements to the Company's system of internal controls over financial reporting. We have expanded the EiP initiative into other back- and mid-office areas, as well as certain student-facing activities. EiP also includes certain non-recurring costs incurred in connection with the planned dispositions described in Note 4 , Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale , and the completed dispositions described in Note 5 , Dispositions . When we review Adjusted EBITDA on a segment basis, we exclude intercompany revenues and expenses, related to network fees and royalties between our segments, which eliminate in consolidation. We use total assets as the measure of assets for reportable segments. The following tables provide financial information for our reportable segments, including a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Income from continuing operations before income taxes, as reported in the Consolidated Statements of Operations: For the three months ended For the nine months ended September 30, September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Revenues Brazil $ 121,089 $ 170,497 $ 469,480 $ 547,971 Mexico 148,325 141,175 463,868 451,993 Andean 299,613 295,160 844,213 779,135 Rest of World 56,548 49,045 170,164 149,156 Online & Partnerships 165,221 168,375 498,207 520,982 Corporate (3,694 ) (5,651 ) (9,418 ) (14,550 ) Revenues $ 787,102 $ 818,601 $ 2,436,514 $ 2,434,687 Adjusted EBITDA of reportable segments Brazil $ 682 $ 9,138 $ 52,600 $ 61,289 Mexico 23,715 6,465 81,965 78,590 Andean 90,610 90,594 235,376 208,469 Rest of World 5,277 (411 ) 15,870 10,062 Online & Partnerships 45,725 42,883 136,126 145,753 Total Adjusted EBITDA of reportable segments 166,009 148,669 521,937 504,163 Reconciling items: Corporate (45,544 ) (48,731 ) (127,539 ) (152,676 ) Depreciation and amortization expense (53,475 ) (51,936 ) (163,329 ) (152,509 ) Loss on impairment of assets (10,030 ) — (10,030 ) — Share-based compensation expense (6,388 ) (7,953 ) (9,572 ) (42,214 ) EiP expenses (24,996 ) (15,190 ) (60,292 ) (54,887 ) Operating income 25,576 24,859 151,175 101,877 Interest income 3,502 3,677 9,358 9,702 Interest expense (58,319 ) (69,103 ) (181,764 ) (256,677 ) Loss on debt extinguishment — — (7,481 ) (8,425 ) (Loss) gain on derivatives (144 ) (19,930 ) 92,112 19,187 Other income (expense), net 8,312 (778 ) 10,815 (568 ) Foreign currency exchange (loss) gain, net (26,492 ) 6,624 (43,942 ) (2,221 ) (Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of affiliates $ (47,565 ) $ (54,651 ) $ 30,273 $ (137,125 ) September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Assets Brazil $ 989,206 $ 1,256,364 Mexico 1,024,731 969,400 Andean 1,737,234 1,714,819 Rest of World 230,780 225,429 Online & Partnerships 1,244,418 1,294,147 Corporate and Discontinued Operations 1,764,167 1,931,126 Total assets $ 6,990,536 $ 7,391,285

Goodwill

Goodwill	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill	Goodwill The change in the net carrying amount of Goodwill from December 31, 2017 through September 30, 2018 was composed of the following items: Brazil Mexico Andean Rest of World Online & Partnerships Total Balance at December 31, 2017 $ 493,373 $ 503,373 $ 272,181 $ 98,698 $ 460,740 $ 1,828,365 Acquisitions — — — — — — Dispositions — — — — — — Reclassification to Long-term assets held for sale (21,664 ) — — — — (21,664 ) Impairments — — — — — — Currency translation adjustments (96,754 ) 20,955 (15,777 ) (5,539 ) — (97,115 ) Adjustments to prior acquisitions — — — — — — Balance at September 30, 2018 $ 374,955 $ 524,328 $ 256,404 $ 93,159 $ 460,740 $ 1,709,586

Debt

Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	Debt Outstanding long-term debt was as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Senior long-term debt: Senior Secured Credit Facility (stated maturity dates April 2022 and April 2024), net of discount $ 1,227,730 $ 1,625,344 Senior Notes (stated maturity dates May 2025) 800,000 800,000 Total senior long-term debt 2,027,730 2,425,344 Other debt: Lines of credit 52,226 42,195 Notes payable and other debt 512,537 593,268 Total senior and other debt 2,592,493 3,060,807 Capital lease obligations and sale-leaseback financings 108,691 139,758 Total long-term debt 2,701,184 3,200,565 Less: total unamortized deferred financing costs 91,184 105,299 Less: current portion of long-term debt 104,502 121,870 Long-term debt, less current portion $ 2,505,498 $ 2,973,396 Estimated Fair Value of Debt The estimated fair value of our debt was determined using observable market prices, as the majority of our securities, including the Senior Secured Credit Facility and the Senior Notes due 2025, are traded in a brokered market. The fair value of our remaining debt instruments approximates carrying value based on their terms. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , our long-term debt was classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, based on the frequency and volume of trading in the brokered market. The estimated fair value of our debt was as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Carrying amount Estimated fair value Carrying amount Estimated fair value Total senior and other debt $ 2,592,493 $ 2,654,632 $ 3,060,807 $ 3,117,437 Amendment to Senior Secured Credit Facility - 2024 Term Loan On February 1, 2018 , we amended our Senior Secured Credit Facility to reduce the interest rate on our 2024 Term Loan. In connection with this transaction, we also prepaid $350,000 of the principal balance of the 2024 Term Loan in addition to $1,239 of accrued interest using the proceeds from the sale of our Cyprus and Italy operations, along with borrowings on our revolving credit facility that were subsequently repaid with the China sale proceeds. As a result of the $350,000 prepayment, there will be no further quarterly principal payments required and the remaining balance will be due at maturity. Pursuant to this amendment, the interest rate margins applicable to the 2024 Term Loan were amended to 3.50% for LIBOR term loans and 2.50% for ABR term loans and such interest rate margins will no longer be based upon the Company’s consolidated total debt to consolidated EBITDA ratio. The amendment effectively reduces the current interest rate margins applicable to the outstanding term loans, which prior to the amendment was based on the Company’s consolidated total debt to consolidated EBITDA ratio, by 100 basis points, from 4.50% to 3.50% for LIBOR term loans, and 3.50% to 2.50% for ABR term loans. The amended credit agreement also provided for a prepayment premium with respect to the outstanding term loans. The prepayment premium equaled one percent ( 1% ) of the amount of any term loans that were subject to certain repricing transactions occurring on or prior to August 1, 2018, of which there were none. Certain Covenants As of September 30, 2018 , our senior long-term debt contained certain negative covenants including, among others: (1) limitations on additional indebtedness; (2) limitations on dividends; (3) limitations on asset sales, including the sale of ownership interests in subsidiaries and sale-leaseback transactions; and (4) limitations on liens, guarantees, loans or investments. The Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement provides, solely with respect to the Revolving Credit Facility, that the Company shall not permit its Consolidated Senior Secured Debt to Consolidated EBITDA ratio, as defined in the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, to exceed 3.50x as of the last day of each quarter ending June 30, 2018 and thereafter. However, the agreement also provides that if (i) the Company’s Consolidated Total Debt to Consolidated EBITDA ratio, as defined in the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, is not greater than 4.75 x as of such date and (ii) less than 25% of the Revolving Credit Facility is utilized as of that date, then such financial covenant shall not apply. As of September 30, 2018 , these conditions were satisfied and, therefore, we were not subject to the leverage ratio covenant. In addition, notes payable at some of our locations contain financial maintenance covenants.

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Noncontrolling Interest Holder Put Arrangements The following section provides a summary table and description of the various noncontrolling interest holder put arrangements, which relate to Discontinued Operations, that Laureate had outstanding as of September 30, 2018 . Laureate has elected to accrete changes in the arrangements’ redemption values over the period from the date of issuance to the earliest redemption date. The redeemable noncontrolling interests are recorded at the greater of the accreted redemption value or the traditional noncontrolling interest. Until the first exercise date, the put instruments’ reported values may be lower than the final amounts that will be required to settle the minority put arrangements. As of September 30, 2018 , the carrying value of all noncontrolling interest holder put arrangements was $10,958 . If the minority put arrangements were all exercised at September 30, 2018 , Laureate would be obligated to pay the noncontrolling interest holders an estimated amount of $10,958 , as summarized in the following table: Nominal Currency First Exercisable Date Estimated Value as of September 30, 2018 redeemable within 12-months: Reported Noncontrolling interest holder put arrangements INTI Education Holdings Sdn Bhd (Inti Holdings) - 10.10% MYR Current $ 9,016 $ 9,016 Pearl Retail Solutions Private Limited (Pearl) - 10% INR Current 1,880 1,880 Stamford International University (STIU) - Puttable preferred stock of TEDCO THB Current 62 62 Total noncontrolling interest holder put arrangements 10,958 10,958 Puttable common stock - not currently redeemable USD * — 1,713 Total redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity $ 10,958 $ 12,671 * Contingently redeemable MYR: Malaysian Ringgit INR: Indian Rupee THB: Thai Baht Laureate’s noncontrolling interest put arrangements are specified in agreements with each noncontrolling interest holder. The terms of these agreements determine the measurement of the redemption value of the put options based on a non-GAAP measure of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA, or recurring EBITDA), the definition of which varies for each particular contract. Commitments and contingencies are generally denominated in foreign currencies. Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock As disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, in December 2016 and January 2017, the Company issued an aggregate of 400 shares of convertible redeemable preferred stock (the Series A Preferred Stock) for total gross proceeds of $400,000 . The Series A Preferred Stock included a Beneficial Conversion Feature (BCF) that was contingent on a qualified IPO (as defined in the Certificate of Designations governing the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock), which was consummated on February 6, 2017. Accordingly, during the first quarter of 2017, the Company recorded the BCF at its estimated fair value as a reduction of the carrying value of the Series A Preferred Stock and an increase to Additional paid-in capital . The accretion of this BCF reduced net income available to common stockholders in the calculation of earnings per share, as shown in Note 16 , Earnings (Loss) Per Share . The total BCF of $265,368 was accreted using a constant yield approach over a one -year period. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 , we recorded total accretion on the Series A Preferred Stock of $61,974 and $185,149 , respectively, and paid cash dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock of $11,103 and $5,175 , respectively. As of December 31, 2017 , the Series A Preferred Stock had a carrying value of $400,276 . On April 23, 2018 all of the issued and outstanding shares of the Series A Preferred Stock were converted into 36,143 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.004 per share. This conversion was treated as a redemption for accounting purposes and resulted in an increase in Additional paid-in capital upon reclassification of the carrying value of the Series A Preferred Stock. See Note 13 , Stockholders' Equity , for further detail. A portion of the fair value of the shares of Class A common stock issued to redeem the Series A Preferred Stock was allocated to the BCF contained in the Series A Preferred Stock. The difference between the remaining fair value of the shares of Class A common stock issued, the carrying value of the Series A Preferred Stock and fair value of the embedded derivatives resulted in a gain of $74,110 , which was recorded as Additional paid-in capital but included in income available to common stockholders in the calculation of earnings per share. Other Loss Contingencies Laureate is subject to legal actions arising in the ordinary course of its business. In management's opinion, we have adequate legal defenses, insurance coverage and/or accrued liabilities with respect to the eventuality of such actions. We do not believe that any settlement would have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Refer to Note 18 , Legal and Regulatory Matters , for a discussion of certain matters. Contingent Liabilities for Taxes As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , Laureate has recorded cumulative liabilities totaling $64,997 and $77,258 , respectively, for taxes other-than-income tax, principally payroll-tax-related uncertainties recorded at the time of an acquisition, of which $5,072 and $7,240 , respectively, was classified as held for sale. The changes in this recorded liability are related to acquisitions, interest and penalty accruals, changes in tax laws, expirations of statutes of limitations, settlements and changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The terms of the statutes of limitations on these contingencies vary but can be up to 10 years . These liabilities were included in current and long-term liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Changes in the recorded values of non-income tax contingencies impact operating income and interest expense, while changes in the related indemnification assets impact only operating income. The total increase to operating income for adjustments to non-income tax contingencies and indemnification assets was $857 and $4,905 , respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 . In addition, as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , Laureate has recorded cumulative liabilities for income tax contingencies of $68,404 and $103,189 , respectively, of which $8,680 and $9,300 , respectively, were classified as held for sale. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , indemnification assets primarily related to acquisition contingencies were $95,956 and $98,493 , respectively, of which $600 and $935 , respectively, were classified as held for sale. These indemnification assets primarily cover contingencies for income taxes and taxes other-than-income taxes. In addition, we have identified certain contingencies, primarily tax-related, that we have assessed as being reasonably possible of loss, but not probable of loss, and could have an adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations if the outcomes are unfavorable. In most cases, Laureate has received indemnifications from the former owners and/or noncontrolling interest holders of the acquired businesses for contingencies, and therefore, we do not believe we will sustain an economic loss even if we are required to pay these additional amounts. In cases where we are not indemnified, the unrecorded contingencies are not individually material and are primarily in Brazil. In the aggregate, we estimate that the reasonably possible loss for these unrecorded contingencies in Brazil could be up to approximately $39,000 if the outcomes were unfavorable in all cases. Other Loss Contingencies Laureate has accrued liabilities for certain civil actions against our institutions, a portion of which existed prior to our acquisition of these entities. Laureate intends to vigorously defend against these matters. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , approximately $35,000 and $18,000 , respectively, of loss contingencies were included in Other long-term liabilities and Other current liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. In addition, as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , $18,000 and $4,000 , respectively, of loss contingencies for Discontinued Operations were classified as liabilities held for sale. The increase is primarily due to loss contingencies recorded as a result of the sale of LEILY in China, as discussed in Note 5 , Dispositions , as well as loss contingencies in the Brazil segment for which we are indemnified by the former owner and have recorded a corresponding indemnification asset. Material Guarantees – Student Financing Chile The accredited Chilean institutions in the Laureate network also participate in a government-sponsored student financing program known as Crédito con Aval del Estado (the CAE Program). The CAE Program was formally implemented by the Chilean government in 2006 to promote higher education in Chile for lower socio-economic level students in good academic standing. The CAE Program involves tuition financing and guarantees that are provided by our institutions and the government. As part of the CAE Program, these institutions provide guarantees which result in contingent liabilities to third-party financing institutions, beginning at 90% of the tuition loans made directly to qualified students enrolled through the CAE Program and declining to 60% over time. The guarantees by these institutions are in effect during the period in which the student is enrolled , and the guarantees are assumed entirely by the government upon the student’s graduation. When a student leaves one of Laureate's institutions and enrolls in another CAE-qualified institution, the Laureate institution will remain guarantor of the tuition loans that have been granted up to the date of transfer, and until the student's graduation from a CAE-qualified institution. The maximum potential amount of payments our institutions could be required to make under the CAE Program was approximately $511,000 and $527,000 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , respectively. This maximum potential amount assumes that all students in the CAE Program do not graduate, so that our guarantee would not be assigned to the government, and that all students default on the full amount of the CAE-qualified loan balances. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , we recorded $33,884 and $27,073 , respectively, as estimated long-term guarantee liabilities for these obligations. Material Guarantees – Other In conjunction with the purchase of UNP Brazil, Laureate pledged all of the acquired shares as a guarantee of our payments of rents as they become due. In the event that we default on any payment, the pledge agreement provides for a forfeiture of the relevant pledged shares. In the event of forfeiture, Laureate may be required to transfer the books and management of UNP to the former owners. Laureate acquired the remaining 49% ownership interest in UAM Brazil in April 2013. As part of the agreement to purchase the 49% ownership interest, Laureate pledged 49% of its total shares in UAM Brazil as a guarantee of our payment obligations under the purchase agreement. In the event that we default on any payment, the agreement provides for a forfeiture of the pledged shares. In connection with the purchase of FMU on September 12, 2014, Laureate pledged 75% of the acquired shares to third-party lenders as a guarantee of our payment obligations under the loans that financed a portion of the purchase price. Laureate pledged the remaining 25% of the acquired shares to the sellers as a guarantee of our payment obligations under the purchase agreement for the seller notes . In the event that we default on any payment of the loans or seller notes, the purchase agreement provides for a forfeiture of the relevant pledged shares. After the payment of the seller notes in September 2017, the shares pledged to the sellers were pledged to the third-party lenders until full payment of the loans, which mature in April 2021. In connection with a loan agreement entered into by a Laureate subsidiary in Peru, all of the shares of UPN Peru, one of our universities, were pledged to the third-party lender as a guarantee of the payment obligations under the loan. Standby Letters of Credit, Surety Bonds and Other Commitments As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , Laureate's outstanding letters of credit (LOCs) and surety bonds primarily consisted of the items discussed below. As of both September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , we had approximately $137,000 posted as LOCs in favor of the DOE. These LOCs were required to allow Walden, Kendall, NewSchool and St. Augustine to continue participating in the DOE Title IV program and are recorded on Walden and a corporate entity. These LOCs are fully collateralized with cash equivalents and certificates of deposit, which are classified as Restricted cash on our September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of December 31, 2017 , we had $39,505 posted as cash collateral for LOCs related to the Spain Tax Audits. As discussed in Note 15 , Income Taxes , the cash collateral for these LOCs was released during the first quarter of 2018 and used for payments to the Spanish taxing authorities in order to stop additional interest from accruing while the appeals process continues. The cash collateral for these LOCs was recorded in Continuing Operations and was classified as Restricted cash on our December 31, 2017 Consolidated Balance Sheet. As part of our normal operations, our insurers issue surety bonds on our behalf, as required by various state education authorities in the United States. We are obligated to reimburse our insurers for any payments made by the insurers under the surety bonds. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , the total face amount of these surety bonds was $22,410 and $ 13,980 , respectively. These bonds are fully collateralized with cash, which was classified as Restricted cash on our September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 Consolidated Balance Sheets. In November 2016, in order to continue participating in Prouni, a federal program that offers tax benefits designed to increase higher education participation rates in Brazil, UAM Brazil posted a guarantee in the amount of $15,300 . In connection with the issuance of the guarantee, UAM Brazil obtained a non-collateralized surety bond from a third party in order to secure the guarantee. The cost of the surety bond was $1,400 , of which half was reimbursed by the former owner of UAM Brazil, and is being amortized over the five -year term. The Company believes that this matter will not have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Financing Receivables

Financing Receivables	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Receivables [Abstract]
Financing Receivables	Financing Receivables Laureate’s financing receivables consist primarily of trade receivables related to student tuition financing programs with an initial term in excess of one year. We have offered long-term financing through the execution of note receivable agreements with students at some of our institutions. Our disclosures include financing receivables that are classified in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as both current and long-term, reported in accordance with ASC 310, “Receivables.” Laureate’s financing receivables balances were as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Financing receivables $ 31,506 $ 20,380 Allowance for doubtful accounts (5,876 ) (6,472 ) Financing receivables, net of allowances $ 25,630 $ 13,908 We do not purchase financing receivables in the ordinary course of our business. We may sell certain receivables that are significantly past due. No material amounts of financing receivables were sold during the periods reported herein. Delinquency is the primary indicator of credit quality for our financing receivables. Receivable balances are considered delinquent when contractual payments on the loan become past due. Delinquent financing receivables are placed on non-accrual status for interest income. The accrual of interest is resumed when the financing receivable becomes contractually current and when collection of all remaining amounts due is reasonably assured. We record an Allowance for doubtful accounts to reduce our financing receivables to their net realizable value. The Allowance for doubtful accounts is based on the age of the receivables, the status of past-due amounts, historical collection trends, current economic conditions, and student enrollment status. Each of our institutions evaluates its balances for potential impairment. We consider impaired loans to be those that are past due one year or greater, and those that are modified as a troubled debt restructuring (TDR). The aging of financing receivables grouped by country portfolio was as follows: Chile Other Total As of September 30, 2018 Amounts past due less than one year $ 11,327 $ 305 $ 11,632 Amounts past due one year or greater 3,484 192 3,676 Total past due (on non-accrual status) 14,811 497 15,308 Not past due 15,333 865 16,198 Total financing receivables $ 30,144 $ 1,362 $ 31,506 As of December 31, 2017 Amounts past due less than one year $ 6,800 $ 921 $ 7,721 Amounts past due one year or greater 3,551 201 3,752 Total past due (on non-accrual status) 10,351 1,122 11,473 Not past due 8,494 413 8,907 Total financing receivables $ 18,845 $ 1,535 $ 20,380 The following is a rollforward of the Allowance for doubtful accounts related to financing receivables for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 , grouped by country portfolio: Chile Other Total Balance at December 31, 2017 $ (6,107 ) $ (365 ) $ (6,472 ) Charge-offs 1,338 37 1,375 Recoveries — — — Reclassifications — — — Provision (1,233 ) 18 (1,215 ) Currency adjustments 434 2 436 Balance at September 30, 2018 $ (5,568 ) $ (308 ) $ (5,876 ) Balance at December 31, 2016 $ (6,209 ) $ (877 ) $ (7,086 ) Charge-offs 2,798 330 3,128 Recoveries — — — Reclassifications — — — Provision (2,089 ) 225 (1,864 ) Currency adjustments (360 ) (47 ) (407 ) Balance at September 30, 2017 $ (5,860 ) $ (369 ) $ (6,229 ) Restructured Receivables A TDR is a financing receivable in which the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty and Laureate has granted an economic concession to the student debtor that we would not otherwise consider. When we modify financing receivables in a TDR, Laureate typically offers the student debtor an extension of the loan maturity and/or a reduction in the accrued interest balance. In certain situations, we may offer to restructure a financing receivable in a manner that ultimately results in the forgiveness of contractually specified principal balances. Our only TDRs are in Chile. The number of financing receivable accounts and the pre- and post-modification account balances modified under the terms of a TDR during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows: Number of Financing Receivable Accounts Pre-Modification Balance Outstanding Post-Modification Balance Outstanding 2018 435 $ 1,345 $ 1,262 2017 355 $ 1,838 $ 1,655 The preceding table represents accounts modified under the terms of a TDR during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 , whereas the following table represents accounts modified as a TDR between January 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018 that subsequently defaulted during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 : Number of Financing Receivable Accounts Balance at Default Total 128 $ 455 The following table represents accounts modified as a TDR between January 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017 that subsequently defaulted during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 : Number of Financing Receivable Accounts Balance at Default Total 156 $ 721

Share-based Compensation

Share-based Compensation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Share-based Compensation	Share-based Compensation Share-based compensation expense was as follows: For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Continuing operations Stock options, net of estimated forfeitures $ 1,932 $ 4,315 $ (3,333 ) $ 32,142 Restricted stock awards 4,456 3,638 12,905 10,072 Total continuing operations $ 6,388 $ 7,953 $ 9,572 $ 42,214 Discontinued operations Share-based compensation expense for discontinued operations 173 679 920 1,755 Total continuing and discontinued operations $ 6,561 $ 8,632 $ 10,492 $ 43,969 The negative stock options expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 relates to the correction of an immaterial error recorded in the prior year.

Stockholders' Equity

Stockholders' Equity	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Equity [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity	Stockholders' Equity The components of net changes in stockholders' equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 were as follows: Laureate Education, Inc. Stockholders Class A Class B Additional paid-in capital (Accumulated deficit) retained earnings Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income Non-controlling interests Total stockholders' equity Shares Amount Shares Amount Balance at December 31, 2017 55,052 $ 220 132,443 $ 530 $ 3,446,206 $ (946,236 ) $ (925,556 ) $ 12,118 $ 1,587,282 Adoption of accounting standards — — — — — 4,330 — — 4,330 Balance at January 1, 2018 55,052 220 132,443 530 3,446,206 (941,906 ) (925,556 ) 12,118 1,591,612 Non-cash stock compensation — — — — 10,492 — — — 10,492 Conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares 115 — (115 ) — — — — — — Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding 344 2 59 — (1,746 ) — — — (1,744 ) Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders — — — — — — — (892 ) (892 ) Change in noncontrolling interests — — — — (468 ) — — (23,305 ) (23,773 ) Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity — — — — 1,130 — — — 1,130 Accretion of Series A Preferred Stock — — — — (61,974 ) — — — (61,974 ) Gain upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock — — — — 74,110 — — — 74,110 Reclassification of Series A Preferred Stock upon conversion 36,143 144 — — 237,957 — — — 238,101 Reclassification of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity — — — — — — — (309 ) (309 ) Net income — — — — — 298,499 — 315 298,814 Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax of $0 — — — — — — (166,456 ) 404 (166,052 ) Unrealized gain on derivatives, net of tax of $0 — — — — — — 11,776 — 11,776 Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax of $0 — — — — — — 376 — 376 Balance at September 30, 2018 91,654 $ 366 132,387 $ 530 $ 3,705,707 $ (643,407 ) $ (1,079,860 ) $ (11,669 ) $ 1,971,667 As described in Note 2 , Significant Accounting Policies , the change in opening retained earnings from the adoption of accounting standards comprises an increase of approximately $1,400 from the cumulative impact of adopting Topic 606 and an increase of approximately $2,900 from the cumulative impact of adopting ASU 2016-16. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) in our Consolidated Balance Sheets includes the accumulated translation adjustments arising from translation of foreign subsidiaries' financial statements, the unrealized gains on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, and the accumulated net gains or losses that are not recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost for our minimum pension liability. The components of these balances were as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Laureate Education, Inc. Noncontrolling Interests Total Laureate Education, Inc. Noncontrolling Interests Total Foreign currency translation loss $ (1,093,677 ) $ 371 $ (1,093,306 ) $ (927,221 ) $ (33 ) $ (927,254 ) Unrealized gain on derivatives 16,433 — 16,433 4,657 — 4,657 Minimum pension liability adjustment (2,616 ) — (2,616 ) (2,992 ) — (2,992 ) Accumulated other comprehensive loss $ (1,079,860 ) $ 371 $ (1,079,489 ) $ (925,556 ) $ (33 ) $ (925,589 )

Derivative Instruments

Derivative Instruments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Instruments	Derivative Instruments In the normal course of business, our operations are exposed to fluctuations in foreign currency values and interest rate changes. We may seek to control a portion of these risks through a risk management program that includes the use of derivative instruments. The interest and principal payments for Laureate’s senior long-term debt arrangements are to be paid primarily in USD. Our ability to make debt payments is subject to fluctuations in the value of the USD against foreign currencies, since a majority of our operating cash used to make these payments is generated by subsidiaries with functional currencies other than USD. As part of our overall risk management policies, Laureate has at times entered into foreign currency swap contracts and floating-to-fixed interest rate swap contracts. In addition, we occasionally enter into foreign exchange forward contracts to reduce the impact of other non-functional currency-denominated receivables and payables. We do not enter into speculative or leveraged transactions, nor do we hold or issue derivatives for trading purposes. We generally intend to hold our derivatives until maturity. Laureate reports all derivatives at fair value. These contracts are recognized as either assets or liabilities, depending upon the derivative’s fair value. Gains or losses associated with the change in the fair value of these swaps are recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Operations on a current basis over the term of the contracts, unless designated and effective as a hedge. For swaps that are designated and effective as cash flow hedges, gains or losses associated with the change in fair value of the swaps are recognized in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of AOCI and amortized into earnings as a component of Interest expense over the term of the related hedged items. Upon early termination of an effective interest rate swap designated as a cash flow hedge, unrealized gains or losses are deferred in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of AOCI and are amortized as an adjustment to Interest expense over the period during which the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. For derivatives that are both designated and effective as net investment hedges, gains or losses associated with the change in fair value of the derivatives are recognized on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of AOCI. The reported fair values of our derivatives, which are classified in Derivative instruments on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, were as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Long-term assets: Interest rate swaps $ — $ 6,046 Net investment cross currency swaps 682 — Long-term liabilities: Net investment cross currency swaps — 1,451 Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: Long-term assets: Contingent redemption features - Series A Preferred Stock — 42,140 Current liabilities: Interest rate swaps 35 179 Cross currency and interest rate swaps — 4,279 Long-term liabilities: Cross currency and interest rate swaps 7,258 7,939 Total derivative instrument assets $ 682 $ 48,186 Total derivative instrument liabilities $ 7,293 $ 13,848 Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments Cash Flow Hedge - 2024 Term Loan Interest Rate Swaps In May 2017, Laureate entered into, and designated as cash flow hedges, four pay-fixed, receive-floating amortizing interest rate swaps with notional amounts of $100,000 , $100,000 , $200,000 and $300,000 , respectively. These notional amounts match the corresponding principal of the 2024 Term Loan borrowings of which these swaps are effectively hedging the interest payments. As such, the notional values amortize annually based on the terms of the agreements to match the principal borrowings as they are repaid. These swaps effectively fix the floating interest rate on the term loan to reduce exposure to variability in cash flows attributable to changes in the USD-LIBOR-BBA swap rate. All four swaps had an effective date of May 31, 2017 and would have matured on May 31, 2022; however, on August 21, 2018 Laureate fully settled these swaps. The cash received at settlement from the swap counterparties was $14,117 . The decrease of $1,172 from the derivative asset's recorded fair value at June 30, 2018 and the fair value at settlement was also deferred into AOCI and will be ratably reclassified into income through Interest expense over the remaining maturity period of the 2024 Term Loans. Prior to settlement of the swaps, they were determined to be 100% effective; therefore, the amount of gain or loss recognized in income on the ineffective portion was $0 . During the next 12 months, approximately $5,209 is expected to be reclassified from AOCI into income. The unamortized balance at September 30, 2018 is $13,352 . As of December 31, 2017 , these swaps had an estimated fair value of $6,046 which was recorded in Derivative instruments as a long-term asset. Net Investment Hedge - Cross Currency Swaps In December 2017, Laureate entered into two EUR-USD cross currency swaps (net investment hedges) to hedge the foreign currency exchange volatility on operations of our Euro functional currency subsidiaries and better match our cash flows with the currencies in which our debt obligations are denominated. Both swaps have an effective date of December 22, 2017 and a maturity date of November 2, 2020, and were designated at inception as effective net investment hedges. At maturity on the first swap Laureate will deliver the notional amount of EUR 50,000 and receive USD $59,210 at an implied exchange rate of 1.1842 . At maturity on the second swap Laureate will deliver the notional amount of EUR 50,000 and receive USD $59,360 at an implied exchange rate of 1.1872 . Semiannually until maturity, Laureate is obligated to pay 5.63% and receive 8.25% on EUR 50,000 and USD $59,210 , respectively, on the first swap and pay 5.6675% and receive 8.25% on EUR 50,000 and USD $59,360 , respectively, on the second swap. The swaps are determined to be 100% effective; therefore, the amount of gain or loss recognized in income on the ineffective portion of derivative instruments designated as hedging instruments was $0 . As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , these swaps had an estimated fair value of $682 and $1,451 , respectively, which was recorded in Derivative Instruments as a long-term asset at September 30, 2018 and a long-term liability at December 31, 2017 . The table below shows the total recorded unrealized (loss) gain in Comprehensive income for the derivatives designated as hedging instruments. The impact of these derivative instruments on Comprehensive income, Interest expense and AOCI were as follows: For the three months ended September 30: (Loss) Gain Recognized in Comprehensive Income (Effective Portion) Income Statement Location Gain (Loss) Reclassified 2018 2017 2018 2017 Interest rate swaps $ (1,938 ) $ 525 Interest expense $ 950 $ (972 ) Net investment cross currency swaps 1,378 — N/A — — Total $ (560 ) $ 525 $ 950 $ (972 ) For the nine months ended September 30: Gain Recognized in Comprehensive Income Income Statement Location Gain (Loss) Reclassified 2018 2017 2018 2017 Interest rate swaps $ 7,307 $ 6,625 Interest expense $ 912 $ (6,705 ) Net investment cross currency swaps 4,469 — N/A — — Total $ 11,776 $ 6,625 $ 912 $ (6,705 ) Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments Derivatives related to Series A Preferred Stock Offering The Company identified several embedded derivatives associated with the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock as discussed in Note 10 , Commitments and Contingencies . The embedded derivatives were related to certain contingent redemption features of the Series A Preferred Stock. As of December 31, 2017 , the total estimated fair value of these derivatives was $42,140 , which was recorded in Derivative instruments as a long-term asset on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. These derivatives were not designated as hedges for accounting purposes thus the changes in estimated fair value were recognized as a component of earnings. As discussed in Note 10 , Commitments and Contingencies , the Series A Preferred Stock was converted into Class A common stock on April 23, 2018 . The estimated fair value of these derivatives at the conversion date was approximately $140,300 ; accordingly, the derivative assets were recorded at their estimated fair values through a corresponding gain on derivatives, a component of non-operating income. The increase in the fair value of the derivatives can be attributed to the use of the Monte Carlo Simulation Method to value the derivatives prior to the April 23, 2018 conversion date, when the probability of conversion increased to 100% and the valuation inputs became definitive. In connection with the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock into Class A common stock, the carrying value of the derivative assets was reclassified into equity in April 2018. THINK Interest Rate Swaps Laureate acquired THINK on December 20, 2013, and financed a portion of the purchase price by borrowing AUD 45,000 (US $32,724 at September 30, 2018 ) under a syndicated facility agreement in the form of two term loans of AUD 22,500 each. The terms of the syndicated facility agreement required THINK to enter into an interest rate swap within 45 days from the agreement's December 20, 2013 effective date, in order to convert at least 50% of the AUD 45,000 of term loan debt from a variable interest rate based on the BBSY bid rate, an Australia bank rate, to a fixed interest rate. Accordingly, on January 31, 2014, THINK executed an interest rate swap agreement with an original notional amount of AUD 22,500 to satisfy this requirement and converted AUD 22,500 (US $16,362 at September 30, 2018 ) of the variable rate component of the term loan debt to a fixed interest rate of 3.86% . The notional amount of the swap decreases quarterly based on the terms of the agreement, and the swap matures on December 20, 2018. This interest rate swap was not designated as a hedge for accounting purposes, and had an estimated fair value of $35 and $179 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , respectively, which was recorded in Derivative instruments as a current liability. EUR to USD Foreign Currency Swaps In December 2017, the Company entered into a total of six EUR to USD forward exchange swap agreements in connection with the sale of EUC and Laureate Italy, as discussed in Note 5 , Dispositions . The purpose of the swaps was to mitigate the risk of foreign currency exposure on the sale proceeds. The swaps had an aggregate notional amount of EUR 200,000 and matured on January 16, 2018, resulting in a total realized loss on derivatives of $9,960 . The swaps were not designated as hedges for accounting purposes. CLP to Unidad de Fomento (UF) Cross Currency and Interest Rate Swaps The cross currency and interest rate swap agreements are intended to provide a better correlation between our debt obligations and operating currencies. In 2010, one of our subsidiaries in Chile entered into four cross currency and interest rate swap agreements. One of the swaps matures on December 1, 2024, and the remaining three mature on July 1, 2025 (the CLP to UF cross currency and interest rate swaps). The UF is a Chilean inflation-adjusted unit of account. The four swaps have an aggregate notional amount of approximately $31,000 , and convert CLP-denominated, floating-rate debt to fixed-rate UF-denominated debt. The CLP to UF cross currency and interest rate swaps were not designated as hedges for accounting purposes. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , these swaps had an estimated fair value of $7,258 and $7,939 , respectively, which was recorded in Derivative instruments as a long-term liability. Components of the reported (Loss) gain on derivatives not designated as hedging instruments in the Consolidated Statements of Operations were as follows: For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Unrealized Gain (Loss) Contingent redemption features - Series A Preferred Stock $ — $ (19,974 ) $ (42,140 ) $ 19,468 Cross currency and interest rate swaps 33 151 4,391 24 Interest rate swaps 36 58 138 129 69 (19,765 ) (37,611 ) 19,621 Realized (Loss) Gain Contingent redemption features - Series A Preferred Stock — — 140,320 — Cross currency and interest rate swaps (213 ) (165 ) (10,597 ) (434 ) (213 ) (165 ) 129,723 (434 ) Total (Loss) Gain Contingent redemption features - Series A Preferred Stock — (19,974 ) 98,180 19,468 Cross currency and interest rate swaps (180 ) (14 ) (6,206 ) (410 ) Interest rate swaps 36 58 138 129 (Loss) Gain on derivatives, net $ (144 ) $ (19,930 ) $ 92,112 $ 19,187 Credit Risk and Credit-Risk-Related Contingent Features Laureate’s derivatives expose us to credit risk to the extent that the counterparty may possibly fail to perform its contractual obligation. The amount of our credit risk exposure is equal to the fair value of the derivative when any of the derivatives are in a net gain position. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , the estimated fair values of derivatives in a gain position were $682 and $48,186 , respectively; however, the December 31, 2017 carrying value relates primarily to the redemption rights of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, which did not expose us to credit risk. Our counterparty credit risk is currently limited to the net investment hedges, with an aggregate fair value in a gain position of $682 as of September 30, 2018 . Laureate has limited its credit risk by only entering into derivative transactions with highly rated major financial institutions. We have not entered into collateral agreements with our derivatives' counterparties. At September 30, 2018 , one institution was rated Aa3, one institution was rated A1, one institution was rated A2 and one institution was rated A3 by the global rating agency of Moody's Investors Service. These financial institutions accounted for all of Laureate's derivative credit risk exposure. Laureate's agreements with its derivative counterparties contain a provision under which we could be declared in default on our derivative obligations if repayment of the underlying indebtedness is accelerated by the lender due to a default on the indebtedness. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , we had not breached any default provisions and had not posted any collateral related to these agreements. If we had breached any of these provisions, we could have been required to settle the obligations under the derivative agreements for an amount that we believe would approximate their estimated fair value of $7,293 as of September 30, 2018 and $13,848 as of December 31, 2017 .

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes Laureate uses the liability method to account for income taxes. Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. For interim purposes, we also apply ASC 740-270, "Income Taxes - Interim Reporting." Laureate's income tax provisions for all periods consist of federal, state and foreign income taxes. The tax provisions for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were based on estimated full-year effective tax rates, after giving effect to significant items related specifically to the interim periods, including the mix of income for the period between higher-taxed and lower-taxed jurisdictions. Laureate has operations in multiple countries at various statutory tax rates or which are tax-exempt entities, and other operations that are loss-making entities for which it is not more likely than not that a tax benefit will be realized on the loss. The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA) TCJA was enacted in December 2017. Among other things, the TCJA reduces the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% beginning in 2018, requires companies to pay a one-time transition tax on previously unremitted earnings of non-U.S. subsidiaries that were previously tax deferred and creates new taxes on certain foreign-sourced earnings. The SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 118, which provides guidance on accounting for enactment effects of the TCJA. SAB 118 provides a measurement period of up to one year from the TCJA’s enactment date for companies to complete their accounting under ASC 740. In accordance with SAB 118, to the extent that a company’s accounting for certain income tax effects of the TCJA is incomplete but it is able to determine a reasonable estimate, it must record a provisional estimate in its financial statements. If a company cannot determine a provisional estimate to be included in its financial statements, it should continue to apply ASC 740 on the basis of the provisions of the tax laws that were in effect immediately before the enactment of the TCJA. Transition Tax The transition tax is a tax on previously untaxed accumulated and current earnings and profits (E&P) of certain of the Company’s non-U.S. subsidiaries. To determine the amount of the transition tax, Laureate must determine, in addition to other factors, the amount of post-1986 E&P of the relevant subsidiaries, as well as the amount of non-U.S. income taxes paid on such earnings. Further, the transition tax is based in part on the amount of those earnings held in cash and other specified assets. Laureate was able to make a reasonable estimate of the transition tax and recorded a provisional obligation resulting in additional tax expense of $149,800 in the fourth quarter of 2017. However, Laureate was able to offset this liability with 2017 losses and, under alternative minimum tax, up to 90% of the remaining liability, with existing net operating losses, resulting in a net liability of $3,200 . Additionally, the TCJA repeals the corporate alternative minimum tax prospectively. Thus, Laureate recorded a deferred tax asset for an amount equal to the payable under the alternative minimum tax, resulting in no net income tax expense related to the transition tax. The Company is continuing to gather additional information and will consider additional technical guidance to more precisely compute and account for the amount of the transition tax. This amount may change when Laureate finalizes the calculation of post-1986 foreign E&P previously deferred from U.S. federal taxation and finalizes the amounts held in cash or other specified assets. Remeasurement of Deferred Tax Assets/Liabilities Laureate remeasured certain deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates at which they are expected to reverse, which is generally 21% under the TCJA and recorded a tax benefit in the amount of $66,900 . Additionally, Laureate recorded a tax benefit related to the valuation allowance release, net of rate adjustment, on the deferred tax assets other than NOLs that, when realized, will become indefinite-lived NOLs in the amount of $70,700 . During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 , the company recorded an additional benefit of $400 related to release of valuation allowance for state conformity. Laureate is still analyzing certain aspects of the TCJA, including state conformity, considering additional technical guidance, and refining its calculations, which could potentially affect the measurement of these balances or potentially give rise to new deferred tax amounts. Permanent Reinvestment Laureate also is considering other impacts of the 2017 enactment of the TCJA including, but not limited to, effects on the Company’s indefinite-reinvestment assertion. Laureate previously has not provided deferred taxes on unremitted earnings attributable to international companies that have been considered to be reinvested indefinitely. Laureate is still analyzing the full effects of the TCJA, which may cause some reassessment of previous indefinite-reinvestment assertions with respect to certain jurisdictions. Global Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) Laureate is considering the potential impacts of the GILTI provision within the TCJA on deferred tax assets/liabilities. During the third quarter of 2018, the Company estimated the GILTI provision based on guidance and data available at that time. Currently, Laureate has not yet elected a policy as to whether it will recognize deferred taxes for basis differences expected to reverse as GILTI or whether Laureate will account for GILTI as period costs if and when incurred. Laureate is not aware of other elements of the TCJA for which the Company was not yet able to make reasonable estimates of the enactment impact and for which it would continue accounting for them in accordance with ASC 740 on the basis of the tax laws in effect before the TCJA. ICE Audit As previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, during 2010 and 2013, Laureate was notified by the Spain Tax Authorities (STA) that two tax audits of our Spanish subsidiaries were being initiated for 2006 through 2007, and for 2008 through 2010, respectively. On June 29, 2012, the STA issued a final assessment to Iniciativas Culturales de España, S.L. (ICE), our Spanish holding company, for EUR 11,051 ( $13,000 at September 30, 2018 ), including interest, for the 2006 through 2007 period. Laureate has appealed this final assessment related to the 2006 through 2007 period and issued a cash-collateralized letter of credit in July 2012, in order to continue the appeal process. In October 2015, the STA issued a final assessment to ICE for the 2008 through 2010 period for approximately EUR 17,187 (approximately US $20,200 at September 30, 2018 ), including interest, for those three years. In order to continue the appeals process, we issued cash-collateralized letters of credit for the 2008 to 2010 period assessment amount, plus interest and surcharges. As of December 31, 2017, we had issued total cash-collateralized letters of credit for the ICE tax audit matters of EUR 33,282 (US $39,505 at December 31, 2017), as also described in Note 10 , Commitments and Contingencies . During the quarter ended June 30, 2015, the Company reassessed its position regarding the ICE tax audit matters as a result of recent adverse decisions from the Spanish Supreme Court and the Spanish National Court on cases for taxpayers with similar facts and determined that it could no longer support a more-likely-than-not position. As a result, during 2015, the Company recorded a provision totaling EUR 37,610 (approximately US $42,100 ). The Company plans to continue the appeals process for the periods already audited and assessed. During the second quarter of 2016, we were notified by the STA that tax audits of the Spanish subsidiaries were also being initiated for 2011 and 2012, and in July 2017 the tax audit was extended to include 2013. In October of 2018, the STA issued a final assessment to ICE for the 2011 through 2013 period totaling EUR 4,066 (approximately US $4,800 at September 30, 2018 ), including interest. Also, during the second quarter of 2016, the Regional Administrative Court issued a decision against the Company on its appeal. The Company has further appealed at the Highest Administrative Court level, which appeal was rejected on January 23, 2018. The Company has appealed both decisions to the National Court. In the first quarter of 2018, the Company made payments to the STA totaling approximately EUR 29,600 (approximately US $34,800 at September 30, 2018 ) in order to reduce the amount of future interest that could be incurred as the appeals process continues. The payments were made using the restricted cash that had collateralized the letters of credit discussed above and reduced the liability that had been recorded for this income tax contingency.

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

Earnings (Loss) Per Share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings (Loss) Per Share	Earnings (Loss) Per Share On January 31, 2017 our common stock was reclassified into shares of Class B common stock and, on February 6, 2017 , we completed our IPO of Class A common stock. Other than voting rights, the Class B common stock has the same rights as the Class A common stock and therefore both are treated as the same class of stock for purposes of the earnings per share calculation. Laureate computes basic earnings per share (EPS) by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the reporting period. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that would occur if share-based compensation awards, contingently issuable shares, or convertible securities were exercised or converted into common stock. To calculate the diluted EPS, the basic weighted average number of shares is increased by the dilutive effect of stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, and contingently issuable shares determined using the treasury stock method, and convertible securities using the if-converted method. The following tables summarize the computations of basic and diluted earnings per share: For the three months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for continuing operations: Loss from continuing operations $ (43,792 ) $ (67,181 ) Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests 2,037 3,943 Loss from continuing operations attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. (41,755 ) (63,238 ) Accretion of redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity 324 (105 ) Accretion of Series A Preferred Stock — (83,955 ) Subtotal: accretion of Series A Preferred Stock and other redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity 324 (84,060 ) Net loss from continuing operations available to common stockholders for basic and diluted earnings per share $ (41,431 ) $ (147,298 ) Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for discontinued operations: Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax $ (34,466 ) $ (36,309 ) Loss on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax (18,426 ) — (Income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (142 ) 1,588 Net loss from discontinued operations for basic and diluted earnings per share $ (53,034 ) $ (34,721 ) Denominator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share: Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding 224,037 178,871 Basic and diluted loss per share: Loss from continuing operations $ (0.18 ) $ (0.82 ) Loss from discontinued operations (0.24 ) (0.20 ) Basic and diluted loss per share $ (0.42 ) $ (1.02 ) For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for continuing operations: Loss from continuing operations $ (35,549 ) $ (150,792 ) Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests 892 2,652 Loss from continuing operations attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. (34,657 ) (148,140 ) Accretion of redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity 1,130 (635 ) Adjusted for: accretion related to noncontrolling interests and equity redeemable at fair value (559 ) (6,357 ) Accretion of Series A Preferred Stock (61,974 ) (185,149 ) Gain upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock 74,110 — Subtotal: accretion of Series A Preferred Stock, net and other redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity 12,707 (192,141 ) Net income (loss) available to common stockholders for basic earnings per share (21,950 ) (340,281 ) Adjusted for: accretion of Series A Preferred Stock 61,974 — Adjusted for: gain upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock (74,110 ) — Net loss from continuing operations available to common stockholders for diluted earnings per share $ (34,086 ) $ (340,281 ) Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for discontinued operations: (Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax $ 22,459 $ 44,047 Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax 311,904 — Income attributable to noncontrolling interests (1,207 ) (287 ) Net income from discontinued operations for basic and diluted earnings per share $ 333,156 $ 43,760 Denominator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share: Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding 209,129 167,261 Basic earnings (loss) per share: Income (loss) from continuing operations $ (0.10 ) $ (2.03 ) Income from discontinued operations 1.59 0.26 Basic earnings (loss) per share $ 1.49 $ (1.77 ) Diluted earnings (loss) per share: Loss from continuing operations $ (0.16 ) $ (2.03 ) Income from discontinued operations 1.59 0.26 Diluted earnings (loss) per share $ 1.43 $ (1.77 ) The shares of Class A common stock that were issuable upon completion of the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock were not included in the calculation of diluted EPS, as the effect would have been antidilutive. In the calculation of diluted EPS for 2018, the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock, which occurred on April 23, 2018, was assumed to have occurred as of the beginning of the period; accordingly, the effects of the accretion and the gain upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock were removed from net income available to common stockholders for diluted earnings per share. The following table summarizes the number of stock options, shares of restricted stock and restricted stock units (RSUs) that were excluded from the diluted EPS calculations because the effect would have been antidilutive: For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Stock options 9,328 13,443 9,628 12,957 Restricted stock and RSUs 931 843 1,034 730

Related Party Transactions

Related Party Transactions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	Related Party Transactions Corporate Transactions between Laureate and Affiliates of Wengen Alberta, Limited Partnership (Wengen) As part of the issuance and sale of shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock in December 2016, KKR and Snow Phipps, affiliates of Wengen, our controlling stockholder, purchased from the Company 60 and 15 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 , the Company paid cash dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock totaling $11,103 , of which $1,822 was paid to KKR and Snow Phipps. As discussed in Note 10 , Commitments and Contingencies , all shares of Series A Preferred Stock were converted to Class A common stock on April 23, 2018 .

Legal and Regulatory Matters

Legal and Regulatory Matters	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Legal and Regulatory Matters	Legal and Regulatory Matters Laureate is subject to legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. In management's opinion, we have adequate legal defenses, insurance coverage, and/or accrued liabilities with respect to the eventuality of these actions. Management believes that any settlement would not have a material impact on Laureate's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. For further description, see our 2017 Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2018 and June 30, 2018. Update on Turkey Regulatory Matters The Company previously disclosed in its 2017 Form 10-K that, on April 18, 2017, Istanbul Bilgi University (Bilgi) received from the Turkish Higher Education Council (the YÖK) the results of its 2015-2016 annual audit (the 2015-2016 Annual Audit) and that the Company was appealing the result of that audit. The YÖK also conducted a supplemental audit of the 2015-2016 academic year (the 2015-2016 Supplemental Audit) and the annual audit of the 2016-2017 academic year (the 2016-2017 Annual Audit). On April 6, 2018, Bilgi received the results of the 2015-2016 Supplemental Audit and the 2016-2017 Annual Audit by resolutions of the YÖK which, among other things, approved a portion of the payments previously made by Bilgi to a subsidiary of the Company for management, operational and student services and intellectual property and disallowed and required reimbursement of a portion of such payments. In order to comply with the resolutions of the YÖK and avoid sanctions, Bilgi has complied with those resolutions and the Company has reimbursed to Bilgi the disallowed payments; however, it has appealed the YÖK’s decision on the 2015-2016 Annual Audit in the Turkish court system, as well as the YÖK’s decisions pursuant to the 2015-2016 Supplemental Audit and the 2016-2017 Annual Audit. The YÖK is currently conducting its 2017-2018 annual audit (the 2017-2018 Annual Audit) of Bilgi. As part of the 2017-2018 Annual Audit, Bilgi has received inquiries from the YÖK requesting clarifications regarding certain academic and financial matters. Bilgi is preparing responses to the YÖK. In May 2018, an amendment to Turkey's higher education law was passed , which could affect certain transactions of Turkish universities that are deemed to be related party transactions. In order for it to be implemented, the amendment requires the Turkish government to issue final directives, which have not yet been issued. These directives are expected to be of significant importance in determining whether the amendment will have an impact on our operations. Once the final directives are received, the Company will evaluate whether this amendment to the higher education law has an effect on our operations, including the existing contractual relationships that the Company maintains with Bilgi, our institution in Turkey. At this time, we cannot predict the impact, if any, of this amendment to our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Bilgi is one of the subsidiaries that the Company plans to divest; accordingly, it is included in Discontinued Operations for all periods presented.

Fair Value Measurement

Fair Value Measurement	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurement	Fair Value Measurement Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to settle a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Accounting standards utilize a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three levels, which are described below: • Level 1 – Quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets; • Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices that are either directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability; • Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity. These levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk of liquidity associated with the financial assets or liabilities disclosed. Assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement, as required under ASC 820-10, "Fair Value Measurement." Derivative instruments Laureate uses derivative instruments as economic hedges for bank debt, foreign exchange fluctuations and interest rate risk. Their values are derived using valuation models commonly used for derivatives. These valuation models require a variety of inputs, including contractual terms, market prices, forward-price yield curves, notional quantities, measures of volatility and correlations of such inputs. Our valuation models also reflect measurements for credit risk. Laureate concluded that the fair values of our derivatives are based on unobservable inputs, or Level 3 assumptions. The significant unobservable input used in the fair value measurement of the Company's derivative instruments is our own credit risk. Holding other inputs constant, a significant increase (decrease) in our own credit risk would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement for the Company's derivative instruments. Laureate’s financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2018 were as follows: Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Assets Derivative instruments $ 682 $ — $ — $ 682 Liabilities Derivative instruments $ 7,293 $ — $ — $ 7,293 Laureate’s financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2017 were as follows: Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Assets Derivative instruments $ 48,186 $ — $ — $ 48,186 Liabilities Derivative instruments $ 13,848 $ — $ — $ 13,848 The changes in our Level 3 Derivative instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 were as follows: Balance at December 31, 2017 $ 34,338 (Loss) Gain included in earnings: Unrealized losses, net (37,611 ) Realized gains, net 129,723 Included in other comprehensive income 11,776 Settlements (3,520 ) Reclassification upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock (140,320 ) Currency translation adjustment and other (997 ) Balance at September 30, 2018 $ (6,611 ) Unrealized loss, net, relating to derivatives held at September 30, 2018 $ (37,611 ) The following table presents quantitative information regarding the significant unobservable inputs utilized in the fair value measurements of the Company's assets/(liabilities) classified as Level 3 as of September 30, 2018 : Fair Value at September 30, 2018 Valuation Technique Unobservable Input Range/Input Value Derivative instruments - cross currency and interest rate swaps $ (6,611 ) Discounted Cash Flow Credit Risk 3.39 %

Supplemental Cash Flow Informat

Supplemental Cash Flow Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Supplemental Cash Flow Information	Supplemental Cash Flow Information Reconciliation of Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the Consolidated Balance Sheets, as well as the September 30, 2017 balance. The September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017 balances sum to the amounts shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 : September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 December 31, 2017 Cash and cash equivalents $ 392,348 $ 299,010 $ 320,567 Restricted cash 196,790 187,260 212,215 Total Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows $ 589,138 $ 486,270 $ 532,782 Restricted cash includes cash equivalents held to collateralize standby letters of credit in favor of the DOE. In addition, Laureate may at times have restricted cash in escrow pending potential acquisition transactions, hold a United States deposit for a letter of credit in lieu of a surety bond, or otherwise have cash that is not immediately available for use in current operations. See also Note 10 , Commitments and Contingencies .

Subsequent Events

Subsequent Events	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events Peru Acquisition On October 5, 2018, Laureate Education Peru, SRL, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, signed a sale purchase agreement to acquire all of the capital stock of Instituto de Educación Superior Tecnológico Privado Red Avansys SAC (Avansys), an institution in Peru, for a purchase price of 60,150 Peruvian Nuevo Sols, plus closing costs (approximately $18,500 at September 30, 2018 ). The sale closed on November 5, 2018 .

Significant Accounting Polici_2

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
The Variable Interest Entity (VIE) Arrangements	The Variable Interest Entity (VIE) Arrangements Laureate consolidates in its financial statements certain internationally based educational organizations that do not have shares or other equity ownership interests. Although these educational organizations may be considered not-for-profit entities in their home countries and they are operated in compliance with their respective not-for-profit legal regimes, we believe they do not meet the definition of a not-for-profit entity under GAAP, and therefore we treat them as "for-profit" entities for accounting purposes. These entities generally cannot declare dividends or distribute their net assets to the entities that control them. Under ASC 810-10, ‘‘Consolidation,’’ we have determined that these institutions are VIEs and that Laureate is the primary beneficiary of these VIEs because we have, as further described herein: (1) the power to direct the activities of the VIEs that most significantly affect their educational and economic performance and (2) the right to receive economic benefits from contractual and other arrangements with the VIEs that could potentially be significant to the VIEs. We account for the acquisition of the right to control a VIE in accordance with ASC 805, "Business Combinations."
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivables are deemed to be uncollectible when they have been outstanding for two years , or earlier when collection efforts have ceased, at which time they are written off. Prior to that, Laureate records an allowance for doubtful accounts to reduce our receivables to their net realizable value. Our allowance estimation methodology is based on the age of the receivables, the status of past-due amounts, historical collection trends, current economic conditions and student enrollment status. In the event that current collection trends differ from historical trends, an adjustment is made to the allowance account and bad debt expense.
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards/Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted	ASU No. 2016-15 (ASU 2016-15), Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15 in order to address the diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows under Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows, and other Topics. This standard addresses the following eight specific cash flow issues: debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing; contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies (COLIs) (including bank-owned life insurance policies (BOLIs)); distributions received from equity method investees; beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. The amendments in this update apply to all entities, including both business entities and not-for-profit entities that are required to present a statement of cash flows under Topic 230. The Company adopted this standard beginning January 1, 2018. Because this standard requires retrospective application, for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 we have reclassified from operating activities to financing activities approximately $65,000 of redemption and call premiums that were paid in connection with a debt modification that was completed during the second quarter of 2017. ASU No. 2016-16 (ASU 2016-16), Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16 in order to improve the accounting for income tax consequences for intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. Prior to adopting this ASU, the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity transfer was prohibited until the asset was sold to a third party. The amendments in this ASU state that an entity should recognize income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer when the transfer occurs. This aligns the recognition of income tax consequences for intra-entity transfers of assets with International Financing Reporting Standards (IFRS). Laureate adopted ASU 2016-16 effective January 1, 2018 and recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings of approximately $2,900 . ASU No. 2016-18 (ASU 2016-18), Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18 in order to address the diversity that exists in the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows under Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows. The amendments in this ASU require that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this ASU apply to all entities that have restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents and are required to present a statement of cash flows under Topic 230. This ASU was adopted by Laureate beginning January 1, 2018 and resulted in a change in presentation within the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. As required, Laureate retrospectively applied the guidance to the prior period presented, which resulted in an increase of $1,743 in operating cash flows and an increase of $3,921 in investing cash flows on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 . As required by the ASU, we have provided a reconciliation from cash and cash equivalents as presented on our Consolidated Balance Sheets to cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash as reported on our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. See Note 20 , Supplemental Cash Flow Information , for this reconciliation, as well as a discussion of the nature of our restricted cash balances. ASU No. 2017-07 (ASU 2017-07), Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07 in order to improve the presentation of net periodic pension cost and net periodic post retirement benefit cost. Prior to adoption of this ASU, these costs comprised several components that reflected different aspects of an employer's financial arrangements as well as the cost of benefits provided to employees, and were aggregated for reporting purposes. Under the amendments in this ASU, the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost is disaggregated and reported in the same line item(s) as other compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period, and the remaining components are presented on the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations, if presented. Laureate adopted ASU 2017-07 on January 1, 2018. Because the effect of ASU 2017-07 on prior periods presented was insignificant, we did not revise the Consolidated Statement of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 . For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 , the impact on our Consolidated Statement of Operations was immaterial to the Company. Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted ASU No. 2016-02 (ASU 2016-02), Leases (Topic 842) On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02. Lessees will need to recognize on their balance sheet a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for virtually all of their leases (other than leases that meet the definition of a short-term lease). The liability will be equal to the present value of the lease payments. The asset will be based on the liability, subject to adjustment, such as for initial direct costs and uneven rent payments. For income statement purposes, the FASB retained a dual model, requiring leases to be classified as either operating or finance. Operating leases will result in straight-line expense (similar to current operating leases) while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern (similar to current capital leases). Classification will be based on criteria that are largely similar to those applied in current lease accounting, but without explicit bright lines. The standard is effective for Laureate beginning January 1, 2019. During the third quarter of 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, ‘‘Leases (Topic 842): Targeted improvements,’’ which provides companies with an additional, optional transition method to adopt the new lease requirements by allowing entities to apply the requirements by recognizing a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. As a result, a company's reporting for the comparative periods presented in the financial statements in which the company adopts the new lease requirements would continue to be in accordance with current GAAP (ASC Topic 840). A company electing this optional transition method must provide the required Topic 840 disclosures for all periods that continue to be in accordance with Topic 840. The amendments do not change the existing disclosure requirements in Topic 840 and do not create any interim disclosure requirements that companies previously were not required to provide. We plan to elect this optional transition method. We have completed our diagnostic assessment and have established a cross-functional implementation team which is in the process of identifying changes to our accounting policies, business processes, systems and internal controls in preparation for the implementation. We anticipate that ASU 2016-02 will have a material impact on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, as we will record significant asset and liability balances in connection with our leased properties. We are still evaluating the impact to our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Cash Flows. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, (ASU 2014-09), Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) On May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU 2014-09, which, along with amendments issued in 2015 and 2016, supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605, ‘‘Revenue Recognition’’ and most industry-specific guidance. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. We adopted Topic 606 as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method and elected to apply the standard only to contracts that were not completed as of that date. We recorded a net increase to opening retained earnings of approximately $1,400 as of January 1, 2018 due to the cumulative impact of adopting Topic 606, with the impact primarily related to the deferral of costs to obtain a contract which were previously expensed as incurred. The impact to revenues as a result of applying Topic 606 was an increase of $2,577 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 .
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition Laureate's revenues primarily consist of tuition and educational service revenues. We also generate other revenues from student fees, dormitory/residency fees and other education-related activities. These other revenues are less material to our overall financial results and have a tendency to trend with tuition revenues. Revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. These revenues are recognized net of scholarships and other discounts, refunds, waivers and the fair value of any guarantees made by Laureate related to student financing programs. Laureate's institutions have various billing and academic cycles. We determine revenue recognition through the five-step model prescribed by Topic 606 as follows: • Identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer; • Identification of the performance obligations in the contract; • Determination of the transaction price; • Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and • Recognition of revenue when, or as, we satisfy a performance obligation. We assess collectibility on a portfolio basis prior to recording revenue. Generally, students cannot re-enroll for the next academic session without satisfactory resolution of any past-due amounts. If a student withdraws from an institution, Laureate's obligation to issue a refund depends on the refund policy at that institution and the timing of the student's withdrawal. Generally, our refund obligations are reduced over the course of the academic term. We record refunds as a reduction of deferred revenue as applicable. Performance Obligations A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer and is the unit of accounting in ASC Topic 606. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation identified in the arrangement based on the relative standalone selling price of each distinct good or service in the contract and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. The primary method used to estimate standalone selling price is the adjusted market assessment approach, under which we evaluate the market and estimate the price that a customer would be willing to pay for the goods and services we provide. Our performance obligations are primarily satisfied over time during the course of an academic semester or academic year. Laureate's transaction price is determined based on gross price, net of scholarships and other discounts, refunds, waivers and the fair value of any guarantees made by Laureate related to student financing programs. The majority of our revenue is derived from tuition and educational services agreements with students, and thus, is recognized over time on a weekly straight-line basis over each academic session. We view the knowledge gained by the student as the benefit which the student receives during the academic sessions. We use the output method to recognize tuition and educational services revenue as this method faithfully depicts our performance toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation. Dormitory/residency revenues, which are included in the Other line item in the table above, are recognized over time throughout the occupancy period using the output method based on the proportional period of time elapsed which faithfully depicts our performance toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation. We have elected the optional exemption to not disclose amounts where the performance obligation is part of a contract that has an original expected duration of one year or less. We expect to recognize substantially all revenue on these remaining performance obligations over the next 12 months . Contract Balances The timing of billings, cash collections and revenue recognition results in accounts receivable (contract assets) and deferred revenue and student deposits (contract liabilities) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We have various billing and academic cycles and recognize student receivables when an academic session begins, although students generally enroll in courses prior to the start of the academic session. Receivables are recognized only to the extent that it is probable that we will collect substantially all of the consideration to which we are entitled in exchange for the goods and services that will be transferred to the student. We receive advance payments or deposits from our students before revenue is recognized, which are recorded as contract liabilities in deferred revenue and student deposits. Payment terms vary by university with some universities requiring payment in advance of the academic session and other universities allowing students to pay in installments over the term of the academic session.
Business and Geographic Segment Information	Business and Geographic Segment Information Laureate’s educational services are offered through six operating segments: Brazil, Mexico, Andean, Central America & U.S. Campuses, Rest of World and Online & Partnerships. Laureate determines its operating segments based on information utilized by the chief operating decision maker to allocate resources and assess performance. Our campus-based segments generate revenues by providing an education that emphasizes professional-oriented fields of study with undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines. Our educational offerings are increasingly utilizing online and hybrid (a combination of online and in-classroom) courses and programs to deliver their curriculum. Many of our largest campus-based operations are in developing markets which are experiencing a growing demand for higher education based on favorable demographics and increasing secondary completion rates, driving increases in participation rates and resulting in continued growth in the number of higher education students. Traditional higher education students (defined as 18-24 year olds) have historically been served by public universities, which have limited capacity and are often underfunded, resulting in an inability to meet the growing student demand and employer requirements. This supply and demand imbalance has created a market opportunity for private sector participants. Most students finance their own education. However, there are some government-sponsored student financing programs which are discussed below. These campus-based segments include Brazil, Mexico, Andean, Central America & U.S. Campuses and Rest of World. Specifics related to each of these campus-based segments and our Online & Partnerships segment are discussed below: In Brazil, approximately 75% of post-secondary students are enrolled in private higher education institutions. While the federal government defines the national curricular guidelines, institutions are licensed to operate by city. Laureate owns 13 institutions in eight states throughout Brazil, with a particularly strong presence in the competitive São Paulo market. Many students finance their own education while others rely on the government-sponsored programs such as Prouni and FIES. Public universities in Mexico enroll approximately two thirds of students attending post-secondary education. However, many public institutions are faced with capacity constraints or the quality of the education is considered low. Laureate owns two institutions and is present throughout the country with a footprint of over 40 campuses. Each institution in Mexico has a national license. Students in our Mexican institutions typically finance their own education. The Andean segment includes institutions in Chile, Peru, Portugal and Spain. In Chile, private universities enroll approximately 80% of post-secondary students. In Peru, the public sector plays a significant role, but private universities are increasingly providing the capacity to meet growing demand. In Spain and Portugal, the high demand for post-secondary education places capacity constraints on the public sector, pushing students to turn to the private sector for high-quality education. Chile has government-sponsored student financing programs, while in the other countries students generally finance their own education. The institutions in Portugal and Spain are included in Discontinued Operations . The Central America & U.S. Campuses segment includes institutions in Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and the United States. Students in Central America typically finance their own education while students in the United States finance their education in a variety of ways, including U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Title IV programs. The entire Central America & U.S. Campuses segment is included in Discontinued Operations . The Rest of World segment includes an institution in the European country of Turkey, as well as locations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific consisting of campus-based institutions with operations in Australia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa and Thailand. Additionally, the Rest of World segment manages eight licensed institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and manages one additional institution in China through a joint venture arrangement. T he institutions in the Rest of World segment are included in Discontinued Operations, except for Australia, New Zealand and the managed institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and China. The Online & Partnerships segment includes fully online institutions operating globally that offer professionally oriented degree programs in the United States through Walden University (Walden), a U.S.-based accredited institution, and through the University of Liverpool and the University of Roehampton in the United Kingdom. These online institutions primarily serve working adults with undergraduate and graduate degree program offerings. Students in the United States finance their education in a variety of ways, including Title IV programs. As discussed in Note 1 , Description of Business and Note 4 , Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale , during the quarter ended September 30, 2018 , a number of our subsidiaries met the requirements to be classified as discontinued operations, including the entire Central America & U.S. Campuses segment . As a result, the operations of the Central America & U.S. Campuses segment have been excluded from the segment information for all periods presented. In addition, the portions of the Andean and Rest of World reportable segments that are included in discontinued operations have also been excluded from the segment information for all periods presented. Intersegment transactions are accounted for in a similar manner as third-party transactions and are eliminated in consolidation. The Corporate amounts presented in the following tables includes corporate charges that were not allocated to our reportable segments and adjustments to eliminate intersegment items. We evaluate segment performance based on Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP performance measure defined as Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of affiliates, adding back the following items: Gain (loss) on sales of subsidiaries, net , Foreign currency exchange loss, net , Other income (expense), net , Gain on derivatives , Loss on debt extinguishment , Interest expense , Interest income , Depreciation and amortization expense, Loss on impairment of assets, Share-based compensation expense and expenses related to our Excellence-in-Process (EiP) initiative. EiP is an enterprise-wide initiative to optimize and standardize Laureate’s processes, creating vertical integration of procurement, information technology, finance, accounting and human resources. It includes the establishment of regional shared services organizations (SSOs) around the world, as well as improvements to the Company's system of internal controls over financial reporting. We have expanded the EiP initiative into other back- and mid-office areas, as well as certain student-facing activities. EiP also includes certain non-recurring costs incurred in connection with the planned dispositions described in Note 4 , Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale , and the completed dispositions described in Note 5 , Dispositions . When we review Adjusted EBITDA on a segment basis, we exclude intercompany revenues and expenses, related to network fees and royalties between our segments, which eliminate in consolidation. We use total assets as the measure of assets for reportable segments.
Financing Receivables	Laureate’s financing receivables consist primarily of trade receivables related to student tuition financing programs with an initial term in excess of one year. We have offered long-term financing through the execution of note receivable agreements with students at some of our institutions. Our disclosures include financing receivables that are classified in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as both current and long-term, reported in accordance with ASC 310, “Receivables.”
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses	Delinquency is the primary indicator of credit quality for our financing receivables. Receivable balances are considered delinquent when contractual payments on the loan become past due. Delinquent financing receivables are placed on non-accrual status for interest income. The accrual of interest is resumed when the financing receivable becomes contractually current and when collection of all remaining amounts due is reasonably assured. We record an Allowance for doubtful accounts to reduce our financing receivables to their net realizable value. The Allowance for doubtful accounts is based on the age of the receivables, the status of past-due amounts, historical collection trends, current economic conditions, and student enrollment status. Each of our institutions evaluates its balances for potential impairment. We consider impaired loans to be those that are past due one year or greater, and those that are modified as a troubled debt restructuring (TDR).
Derivative Instruments	In the normal course of business, our operations are exposed to fluctuations in foreign currency values and interest rate changes. We may seek to control a portion of these risks through a risk management program that includes the use of derivative instruments. The interest and principal payments for Laureate’s senior long-term debt arrangements are to be paid primarily in USD. Our ability to make debt payments is subject to fluctuations in the value of the USD against foreign currencies, since a majority of our operating cash used to make these payments is generated by subsidiaries with functional currencies other than USD. As part of our overall risk management policies, Laureate has at times entered into foreign currency swap contracts and floating-to-fixed interest rate swap contracts. In addition, we occasionally enter into foreign exchange forward contracts to reduce the impact of other non-functional currency-denominated receivables and payables. We do not enter into speculative or leveraged transactions, nor do we hold or issue derivatives for trading purposes. We generally intend to hold our derivatives until maturity. Laureate reports all derivatives at fair value. These contracts are recognized as either assets or liabilities, depending upon the derivative’s fair value. Gains or losses associated with the change in the fair value of these swaps are recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Operations on a current basis over the term of the contracts, unless designated and effective as a hedge. For swaps that are designated and effective as cash flow hedges, gains or losses associated with the change in fair value of the swaps are recognized in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of AOCI and amortized into earnings as a component of Interest expense over the term of the related hedged items. Upon early termination of an effective interest rate swap designated as a cash flow hedge, unrealized gains or losses are deferred in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of AOCI and are amortized as an adjustment to Interest expense over the period during which the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. For derivatives that are both designated and effective as net investment hedges, gains or losses associated with the change in fair value of the derivatives are recognized on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of AOCI.
Earnings (Loss) Per Share	Laureate computes basic earnings per share (EPS) by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the reporting period. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that would occur if share-based compensation awards, contingently issuable shares, or convertible securities were exercised or converted into common stock. To calculate the diluted EPS, the basic weighted average number of shares is increased by the dilutive effect of stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, and contingently issuable shares determined using the treasury stock method, and convertible securities using the if-converted method.
Fair Value Measurement	Fair Value Measurement Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to settle a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Accounting standards utilize a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three levels, which are described below: • Level 1 – Quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets; • Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices that are either directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability; • Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity. These levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk of liquidity associated with the financial assets or liabilities disclosed. Assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement, as required under ASC 820-10, "Fair Value Measurement." Derivative instruments Laureate uses derivative instruments as economic hedges for bank debt, foreign exchange fluctuations and interest rate risk. Their values are derived using valuation models commonly used for derivatives. These valuation models require a variety of inputs, including contractual terms, market prices, forward-price yield curves, notional quantities, measures of volatility and correlations of such inputs. Our valuation models also reflect measurements for credit risk. Laureate concluded that the fair values of our derivatives are based on unobservable inputs, or Level 3 assumptions. The significant unobservable input used in the fair value measurement of the Company's derivative instruments is our own credit risk. Holding other inputs constant, a significant increase (decrease) in our own credit risk would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement for the Company's derivative instruments.

Significant Accounting Polici_3

Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Schedule of variable interest entities	The VIEs in Brazil and Mexico comprise several not-for-profit foundations that have insignificant revenues and operating expenses. Selected Consolidated Statements of Operations information for VIEs that are included in continuing operations was as follows, net of the charges related to the above-described contractual arrangements: For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Selected Statements of Operations information: Revenues, by segment: Brazil $ — $ 11 $ — $ 57 Mexico 4 — 89 — Andean 119,884 114,494 325,423 300,385 Revenues 119,888 114,505 325,512 300,442 Depreciation and amortization 6,163 6,626 19,398 20,397 Operating income (loss), by segment: Brazil (16 ) (23 ) (56 ) (30 ) Mexico (121 ) (163 ) (349 ) (516 ) Andean 12,954 6,613 7,714 (3,545 ) Operating income (loss) 12,817 6,427 7,309 (4,091 ) Net income 18,812 10,928 22,860 8,308 Net income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. 18,812 10,928 22,860 8,308 The following table reconciles the Net income (loss) attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. as presented in the table above, to the amounts in our Consolidated Statements of Operations: For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.: Variable interest entities $ 18,812 $ 10,928 $ 22,860 $ 8,308 Other operations 21,564 40,366 241,920 278,804 Corporate and eliminations (135,165 ) (149,253 ) 33,719 (391,492 ) Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. $ (94,789 ) $ (97,959 ) $ 298,499 $ (104,380 ) The following table presents selected assets and liabilities of the consolidated VIEs. Except for Goodwill, the assets in the table below include the assets that can be used only to settle the obligations for the VIEs. The liabilities in the table are liabilities for which the creditors of the VIEs do not have recourse to the general credit of Laureate. Selected Consolidated Balance Sheet amounts for these VIEs were as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 VIE Consolidated VIE Consolidated Balance Sheets data: Cash and cash equivalents $ 146,927 $ 392,348 $ 100,971 $ 320,567 Current assets held for sale 170,886 346,702 170,229 324,668 Other current assets 324,320 715,437 136,115 643,459 Total current assets 642,133 1,454,487 407,315 1,288,694 Goodwill 174,600 1,709,586 183,812 1,828,365 Tradenames 69,107 1,130,186 74,484 1,167,302 Other intangible assets, net — 25,455 — 35,779 Long-term assets held for sale 151,310 1,007,344 369,375 1,224,672 Other long-term assets 297,720 1,663,478 384,593 1,846,473 Total assets 1,334,870 6,990,536 1,419,579 7,391,285 Current liabilities held for sale 114,569 394,229 183,166 451,569 Other current liabilities 200,291 1,143,036 157,981 923,020 Long-term liabilities held for sale 38,696 353,338 84,760 405,747 Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities 28,824 3,115,595 23,654 3,609,670 Total liabilities 382,380 5,006,198 449,561 5,390,006 Total stockholders' equity 952,490 1,971,667 970,018 1,587,282 Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. 952,317 1,983,336 948,966 1,575,164
Schedule of balances of the allowance for doubtful accounts	The reconciliations of the beginning and ending balances of the Allowance for doubtful accounts were as follows: For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Balance at beginning of period $ 182,965 $ 169,014 Additions: charges to bad debt expense 74,969 79,408 Deductions (a) (90,494 ) (68,155 ) Balance at end of period $ 167,440 $ 180,267 (a) Deductions includes accounts receivable written off against the allowance (net of recoveries), reclassifications, and foreign currency translation. The beginning and ending balances of the Allowance for doubtful accounts include the current portion, as shown on the face of Consolidated Balance Sheets, in addition to the noncurrent portion that is included in Notes receivable, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Laureate’s financing receivables balances were as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Financing receivables $ 31,506 $ 20,380 Allowance for doubtful accounts (5,876 ) (6,472 ) Financing receivables, net of allowances $ 25,630 $ 13,908
Schedule of adoption of new accounting standard update	In accordance with the requirements under Topic 606, the impact of adoption on our Consolidated Statement of Operations and Consolidated Balance Sheet was as follows: For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 As Reported Balances Without Adoption of ASC 606 Effect of Change Higher/(Lower) Statement of Operations data: Revenues $ 2,436,514 $ 2,433,937 $ 2,577 Costs and Expenses: Direct costs 2,081,125 2,084,654 (3,529 ) Income tax expense (65,822 ) (65,786 ) (36 ) Net income 298,814 292,743 6,071 As of September 30, 2018 As Reported Balances Without Adoption of ASC 606 Effect of Change Higher/(Lower) Balance Sheet data: Assets: Deferred costs, net $ 65,896 $ 60,949 $ 4,947 Liabilities: Deferred revenue and student deposits 465,290 467,867 (2,577 ) Deferred income taxes 257,083 257,047 36 Equity: Accumulated deficit (643,407 ) (650,895 ) 7,488

Revenue (Tables)

Revenue (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Schedule of revenue by segment	The following table shows the components of Revenues by reportable segment and as a percentage of total net revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2018 : Brazil Mexico Andean Rest of World Online & Partnerships Corporate (1) Total Tuition and educational services $ 196,670 $ 158,602 $ 312,274 $ 57,768 $ 180,063 $ — $ 905,377 115 % Other 2,272 23,676 22,594 3,112 13,767 (3,694 ) 61,727 8 % Gross revenue 198,942 182,278 334,868 60,880 193,830 (3,694 ) 967,104 123 % Less: Discounts / waivers / scholarships (77,853 ) (33,953 ) (35,255 ) (4,332 ) (28,609 ) — (180,002 ) (23 )% Total $ 121,089 $ 148,325 $ 299,613 $ 56,548 $ 165,221 $ (3,694 ) $ 787,102 100 % (1) Includes the elimination of intersegment revenues. The following table shows the components of Revenues by reportable segment and as a percentage of total net revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 : Brazil Mexico Andean Rest of World Online & Partnerships Corporate (1) Total Tuition and educational services $ 741,945 $ 499,876 $ 889,290 $ 174,192 $ 541,681 $ — $ 2,846,984 117 % Other 7,974 68,905 59,523 8,350 40,500 (9,418 ) 175,834 7 % Gross revenue 749,919 568,781 948,813 182,542 582,181 (9,418 ) 3,022,818 124 % Less: Discounts / waivers / scholarships (280,439 ) (104,913 ) (104,600 ) (12,378 ) (83,974 ) — (586,304 ) (24 )% Total $ 469,480 $ 463,868 $ 844,213 $ 170,164 $ 498,207 $ (9,418 ) $ 2,436,514 100 % (1) Includes the elimination of intersegment revenues.

Discontinued Operations and A_2

Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Summary of major classes of assets and liabilities reclassified to held for sale	The carrying amounts of the major classes of assets and liabilities that were classified as held for sale are presented in the following tables: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Assets of Discontinued Operations Cash and cash equivalents $ 209,148 $ 197,898 Receivables, net 85,298 83,045 Property and equipment, net 637,639 830,408 Goodwill 131,958 159,042 Tradenames 126,292 156,746 Other assets 97,829 122,201 Subtotal: assets of Discontinued Operations $ 1,288,164 $ 1,549,340 Other assets classified as held for sale: UniNorte Brazil Receivables, net $ 8,311 $ — Property and equipment, net 15,254 — Goodwill 21,665 — Tradenames 7,664 — Other assets 12,988 — Subtotal: other assets classified as held for sale $ 65,882 $ — Total assets held for sale $ 1,354,046 $ 1,549,340 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Liabilities of Discontinued Operations Deferred revenue and student deposits $ 211,086 $ 223,163 Long-term debt, including current portion 275,024 319,473 Other liabilities 243,223 314,680 Subtotal: liabilities of Discontinued Operations $ 729,333 $ 857,316 Other liabilities classified as held for sale: UniNorte Brazil Deferred revenue and student deposits $ 1,598 $ — Long-term debt, including current portion 4,973 — Other liabilities 11,663 — Subtotal: other liabilities classified as held for sale $ 18,234 $ — Total liabilities held for sale $ 747,567 $ 857,316 Summarized operating results and cash flows of the Discontinued Operations are presented in the following tables: For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Revenues $ 635,223 $ 682,079 Depreciation and amortization 26,632 46,885 Share-based compensation expense 920 1,755 Other direct costs 526,706 560,028 Operating income 80,965 73,411 Other non-operating expense (18,794 ) (14,239 ) Pretax income of discontinued operations 62,171 59,172 Income tax expense (39,712 ) (15,125 ) Income from discontinued operations, net of tax $ 22,459 $ 44,047 Operating cash flows of discontinued operations $ 148,251 $ 153,707 Investing cash flows of discontinued operations $ (38,876 ) $ (25,056 ) Financing cash flows of discontinued operations $ (15,284 ) $ (34,909 ) For the three months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Revenues $ 151,430 $ 164,793 Depreciation and amortization 6,321 15,994 Share-based compensation expense 173 679 Other direct costs 176,686 178,675 Operating loss (31,750 ) (30,555 ) Other non-operating expense (5,621 ) (4,425 ) Pretax loss of discontinued operations (37,371 ) (34,980 ) Income tax benefit (expense) 2,905 (1,329 ) Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax $ (34,466 ) $ (36,309 )

Due to Shareholders of Acquir_2

Due to Shareholders of Acquired Companies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Summary of amounts due to shareholders of acquired companies	The amounts due to shareholders of acquired companies, currencies, and interest rates applied were as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Nominal Currency Interest Universidade Anhembi Morumbi (UAM Brazil) $ 28,577 $ 45,206 BRL CDI + 2% University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, LLC 11,550 11,550 USD 7% Faculdade Porto-Alegrense (FAPA) 1,806 3,084 BRL IGP-M IADE Group 1,177 2,374 EUR 3% Monash South Africa (MSA) — 9,571 AUD n/a Total due to shareholders of acquired companies 43,110 71,785 Less: Current portion of due to shareholders of acquired companies 23,065 34,745 Due to shareholders of acquired companies, less current portion $ 20,045 $ 37,040 BRL: Brazilian Real CDI: Certificados de Depósitos Interbancários (Brazil) USD: United States Dollar IGP-M: General Index of Market Prices (Brazil) EUR: European Euro AUD: Australian Dollar

Business and Geographic Segme_2

Business and Geographic Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of segment financial information	The following tables provide financial information for our reportable segments, including a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Income from continuing operations before income taxes, as reported in the Consolidated Statements of Operations: For the three months ended For the nine months ended September 30, September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Revenues Brazil $ 121,089 $ 170,497 $ 469,480 $ 547,971 Mexico 148,325 141,175 463,868 451,993 Andean 299,613 295,160 844,213 779,135 Rest of World 56,548 49,045 170,164 149,156 Online & Partnerships 165,221 168,375 498,207 520,982 Corporate (3,694 ) (5,651 ) (9,418 ) (14,550 ) Revenues $ 787,102 $ 818,601 $ 2,436,514 $ 2,434,687 Adjusted EBITDA of reportable segments Brazil $ 682 $ 9,138 $ 52,600 $ 61,289 Mexico 23,715 6,465 81,965 78,590 Andean 90,610 90,594 235,376 208,469 Rest of World 5,277 (411 ) 15,870 10,062 Online & Partnerships 45,725 42,883 136,126 145,753 Total Adjusted EBITDA of reportable segments 166,009 148,669 521,937 504,163 Reconciling items: Corporate (45,544 ) (48,731 ) (127,539 ) (152,676 ) Depreciation and amortization expense (53,475 ) (51,936 ) (163,329 ) (152,509 ) Loss on impairment of assets (10,030 ) — (10,030 ) — Share-based compensation expense (6,388 ) (7,953 ) (9,572 ) (42,214 ) EiP expenses (24,996 ) (15,190 ) (60,292 ) (54,887 ) Operating income 25,576 24,859 151,175 101,877 Interest income 3,502 3,677 9,358 9,702 Interest expense (58,319 ) (69,103 ) (181,764 ) (256,677 ) Loss on debt extinguishment — — (7,481 ) (8,425 ) (Loss) gain on derivatives (144 ) (19,930 ) 92,112 19,187 Other income (expense), net 8,312 (778 ) 10,815 (568 ) Foreign currency exchange (loss) gain, net (26,492 ) 6,624 (43,942 ) (2,221 ) (Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of affiliates $ (47,565 ) $ (54,651 ) $ 30,273 $ (137,125 )
Schedule of long-lived assets by geographic areas	September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Assets Brazil $ 989,206 $ 1,256,364 Mexico 1,024,731 969,400 Andean 1,737,234 1,714,819 Rest of World 230,780 225,429 Online & Partnerships 1,244,418 1,294,147 Corporate and Discontinued Operations 1,764,167 1,931,126 Total assets $ 6,990,536 $ 7,391,285

Goodwill (Tables)

Goodwill (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of change in the net carrying amount of goodwill	The change in the net carrying amount of Goodwill from December 31, 2017 through September 30, 2018 was composed of the following items: Brazil Mexico Andean Rest of World Online & Partnerships Total Balance at December 31, 2017 $ 493,373 $ 503,373 $ 272,181 $ 98,698 $ 460,740 $ 1,828,365 Acquisitions — — — — — — Dispositions — — — — — — Reclassification to Long-term assets held for sale (21,664 ) — — — — (21,664 ) Impairments — — — — — — Currency translation adjustments (96,754 ) 20,955 (15,777 ) (5,539 ) — (97,115 ) Adjustments to prior acquisitions — — — — — — Balance at September 30, 2018 $ 374,955 $ 524,328 $ 256,404 $ 93,159 $ 460,740 $ 1,709,586

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of long-term debt outstanding	Outstanding long-term debt was as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Senior long-term debt: Senior Secured Credit Facility (stated maturity dates April 2022 and April 2024), net of discount $ 1,227,730 $ 1,625,344 Senior Notes (stated maturity dates May 2025) 800,000 800,000 Total senior long-term debt 2,027,730 2,425,344 Other debt: Lines of credit 52,226 42,195 Notes payable and other debt 512,537 593,268 Total senior and other debt 2,592,493 3,060,807 Capital lease obligations and sale-leaseback financings 108,691 139,758 Total long-term debt 2,701,184 3,200,565 Less: total unamortized deferred financing costs 91,184 105,299 Less: current portion of long-term debt 104,502 121,870 Long-term debt, less current portion $ 2,505,498 $ 2,973,396
Schedule estimated fair values of debt	The estimated fair value of our debt was as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Carrying amount Estimated fair value Carrying amount Estimated fair value Total senior and other debt $ 2,592,493 $ 2,654,632 $ 3,060,807 $ 3,117,437

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of redeemable noncontrolling interest	If the minority put arrangements were all exercised at September 30, 2018 , Laureate would be obligated to pay the noncontrolling interest holders an estimated amount of $10,958 , as summarized in the following table: Nominal Currency First Exercisable Date Estimated Value as of September 30, 2018 redeemable within 12-months: Reported Noncontrolling interest holder put arrangements INTI Education Holdings Sdn Bhd (Inti Holdings) - 10.10% MYR Current $ 9,016 $ 9,016 Pearl Retail Solutions Private Limited (Pearl) - 10% INR Current 1,880 1,880 Stamford International University (STIU) - Puttable preferred stock of TEDCO THB Current 62 62 Total noncontrolling interest holder put arrangements 10,958 10,958 Puttable common stock - not currently redeemable USD * — 1,713 Total redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity $ 10,958 $ 12,671 * Contingently redeemable MYR: Malaysian Ringgit INR: Indian Rupee THB: Thai Baht

Financing Receivables (Tables)

Financing Receivables (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Receivables [Abstract]
Schedule of financing receivable	The reconciliations of the beginning and ending balances of the Allowance for doubtful accounts were as follows: For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Balance at beginning of period $ 182,965 $ 169,014 Additions: charges to bad debt expense 74,969 79,408 Deductions (a) (90,494 ) (68,155 ) Balance at end of period $ 167,440 $ 180,267 (a) Deductions includes accounts receivable written off against the allowance (net of recoveries), reclassifications, and foreign currency translation. The beginning and ending balances of the Allowance for doubtful accounts include the current portion, as shown on the face of Consolidated Balance Sheets, in addition to the noncurrent portion that is included in Notes receivable, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Laureate’s financing receivables balances were as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Financing receivables $ 31,506 $ 20,380 Allowance for doubtful accounts (5,876 ) (6,472 ) Financing receivables, net of allowances $ 25,630 $ 13,908
Summary of aging of financing receivables by country	The aging of financing receivables grouped by country portfolio was as follows: Chile Other Total As of September 30, 2018 Amounts past due less than one year $ 11,327 $ 305 $ 11,632 Amounts past due one year or greater 3,484 192 3,676 Total past due (on non-accrual status) 14,811 497 15,308 Not past due 15,333 865 16,198 Total financing receivables $ 30,144 $ 1,362 $ 31,506 As of December 31, 2017 Amounts past due less than one year $ 6,800 $ 921 $ 7,721 Amounts past due one year or greater 3,551 201 3,752 Total past due (on non-accrual status) 10,351 1,122 11,473 Not past due 8,494 413 8,907 Total financing receivables $ 18,845 $ 1,535 $ 20,380
Summary of allowance for credit losses on financing receivables	The following is a rollforward of the Allowance for doubtful accounts related to financing receivables for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 , grouped by country portfolio: Chile Other Total Balance at December 31, 2017 $ (6,107 ) $ (365 ) $ (6,472 ) Charge-offs 1,338 37 1,375 Recoveries — — — Reclassifications — — — Provision (1,233 ) 18 (1,215 ) Currency adjustments 434 2 436 Balance at September 30, 2018 $ (5,568 ) $ (308 ) $ (5,876 ) Balance at December 31, 2016 $ (6,209 ) $ (877 ) $ (7,086 ) Charge-offs 2,798 330 3,128 Recoveries — — — Reclassifications — — — Provision (2,089 ) 225 (1,864 ) Currency adjustments (360 ) (47 ) (407 ) Balance at September 30, 2017 $ (5,860 ) $ (369 ) $ (6,229 )
Summary of troubled debt restructuring	The number of financing receivable accounts and the pre- and post-modification account balances modified under the terms of a TDR during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows: Number of Financing Receivable Accounts Pre-Modification Balance Outstanding Post-Modification Balance Outstanding 2018 435 $ 1,345 $ 1,262 2017 355 $ 1,838 $ 1,655 The preceding table represents accounts modified under the terms of a TDR during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 , whereas the following table represents accounts modified as a TDR between January 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018 that subsequently defaulted during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 : Number of Financing Receivable Accounts Balance at Default Total 128 $ 455 The following table represents accounts modified as a TDR between January 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017 that subsequently defaulted during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 : Number of Financing Receivable Accounts Balance at Default Total 156 $ 721

Share-based Compensation (Table

Share-based Compensation (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Summary of share-based compensation expense	Share-based compensation expense was as follows: For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Continuing operations Stock options, net of estimated forfeitures $ 1,932 $ 4,315 $ (3,333 ) $ 32,142 Restricted stock awards 4,456 3,638 12,905 10,072 Total continuing operations $ 6,388 $ 7,953 $ 9,572 $ 42,214 Discontinued operations Share-based compensation expense for discontinued operations 173 679 920 1,755 Total continuing and discontinued operations $ 6,561 $ 8,632 $ 10,492 $ 43,969

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Equity [Abstract]
Components of net changes in stockholders' equity	The components of net changes in stockholders' equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 were as follows: Laureate Education, Inc. Stockholders Class A Class B Additional paid-in capital (Accumulated deficit) retained earnings Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income Non-controlling interests Total stockholders' equity Shares Amount Shares Amount Balance at December 31, 2017 55,052 $ 220 132,443 $ 530 $ 3,446,206 $ (946,236 ) $ (925,556 ) $ 12,118 $ 1,587,282 Adoption of accounting standards — — — — — 4,330 — — 4,330 Balance at January 1, 2018 55,052 220 132,443 530 3,446,206 (941,906 ) (925,556 ) 12,118 1,591,612 Non-cash stock compensation — — — — 10,492 — — — 10,492 Conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares 115 — (115 ) — — — — — — Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding 344 2 59 — (1,746 ) — — — (1,744 ) Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders — — — — — — — (892 ) (892 ) Change in noncontrolling interests — — — — (468 ) — — (23,305 ) (23,773 ) Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity — — — — 1,130 — — — 1,130 Accretion of Series A Preferred Stock — — — — (61,974 ) — — — (61,974 ) Gain upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock — — — — 74,110 — — — 74,110 Reclassification of Series A Preferred Stock upon conversion 36,143 144 — — 237,957 — — — 238,101 Reclassification of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity — — — — — — — (309 ) (309 ) Net income — — — — — 298,499 — 315 298,814 Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax of $0 — — — — — — (166,456 ) 404 (166,052 ) Unrealized gain on derivatives, net of tax of $0 — — — — — — 11,776 — 11,776 Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax of $0 — — — — — — 376 — 376 Balance at September 30, 2018 91,654 $ 366 132,387 $ 530 $ 3,705,707 $ (643,407 ) $ (1,079,860 ) $ (11,669 ) $ 1,971,667
Schedule of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	The components of these balances were as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Laureate Education, Inc. Noncontrolling Interests Total Laureate Education, Inc. Noncontrolling Interests Total Foreign currency translation loss $ (1,093,677 ) $ 371 $ (1,093,306 ) $ (927,221 ) $ (33 ) $ (927,254 ) Unrealized gain on derivatives 16,433 — 16,433 4,657 — 4,657 Minimum pension liability adjustment (2,616 ) — (2,616 ) (2,992 ) — (2,992 ) Accumulated other comprehensive loss $ (1,079,860 ) $ 371 $ (1,079,489 ) $ (925,556 ) $ (33 ) $ (925,589 )

Derivative Instruments (Tables)

Derivative Instruments (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of fair value of derivatives instruments	The reported fair values of our derivatives, which are classified in Derivative instruments on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, were as follows: September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Long-term assets: Interest rate swaps $ — $ 6,046 Net investment cross currency swaps 682 — Long-term liabilities: Net investment cross currency swaps — 1,451 Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: Long-term assets: Contingent redemption features - Series A Preferred Stock — 42,140 Current liabilities: Interest rate swaps 35 179 Cross currency and interest rate swaps — 4,279 Long-term liabilities: Cross currency and interest rate swaps 7,258 7,939 Total derivative instrument assets $ 682 $ 48,186 Total derivative instrument liabilities $ 7,293 $ 13,848
Summary of unrealized gain (loss) recorded in and reclassified from accumulated comprehensive income (loss)	The table below shows the total recorded unrealized (loss) gain in Comprehensive income for the derivatives designated as hedging instruments. The impact of these derivative instruments on Comprehensive income, Interest expense and AOCI were as follows: For the three months ended September 30: (Loss) Gain Recognized in Comprehensive Income (Effective Portion) Income Statement Location Gain (Loss) Reclassified 2018 2017 2018 2017 Interest rate swaps $ (1,938 ) $ 525 Interest expense $ 950 $ (972 ) Net investment cross currency swaps 1,378 — N/A — — Total $ (560 ) $ 525 $ 950 $ (972 ) For the nine months ended September 30: Gain Recognized in Comprehensive Income Income Statement Location Gain (Loss) Reclassified 2018 2017 2018 2017 Interest rate swaps $ 7,307 $ 6,625 Interest expense $ 912 $ (6,705 ) Net investment cross currency swaps 4,469 — N/A — — Total $ 11,776 $ 6,625 $ 912 $ (6,705 )
Components of the reported gain (loss) on derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	Components of the reported (Loss) gain on derivatives not designated as hedging instruments in the Consolidated Statements of Operations were as follows: For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Unrealized Gain (Loss) Contingent redemption features - Series A Preferred Stock $ — $ (19,974 ) $ (42,140 ) $ 19,468 Cross currency and interest rate swaps 33 151 4,391 24 Interest rate swaps 36 58 138 129 69 (19,765 ) (37,611 ) 19,621 Realized (Loss) Gain Contingent redemption features - Series A Preferred Stock — — 140,320 — Cross currency and interest rate swaps (213 ) (165 ) (10,597 ) (434 ) (213 ) (165 ) 129,723 (434 ) Total (Loss) Gain Contingent redemption features - Series A Preferred Stock — (19,974 ) 98,180 19,468 Cross currency and interest rate swaps (180 ) (14 ) (6,206 ) (410 ) Interest rate swaps 36 58 138 129 (Loss) Gain on derivatives, net $ (144 ) $ (19,930 ) $ 92,112 $ 19,187

Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Tabl

Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of earnings per share, basic and diluted	The following tables summarize the computations of basic and diluted earnings per share: For the three months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for continuing operations: Loss from continuing operations $ (43,792 ) $ (67,181 ) Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests 2,037 3,943 Loss from continuing operations attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. (41,755 ) (63,238 ) Accretion of redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity 324 (105 ) Accretion of Series A Preferred Stock — (83,955 ) Subtotal: accretion of Series A Preferred Stock and other redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity 324 (84,060 ) Net loss from continuing operations available to common stockholders for basic and diluted earnings per share $ (41,431 ) $ (147,298 ) Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for discontinued operations: Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax $ (34,466 ) $ (36,309 ) Loss on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax (18,426 ) — (Income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (142 ) 1,588 Net loss from discontinued operations for basic and diluted earnings per share $ (53,034 ) $ (34,721 ) Denominator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share: Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding 224,037 178,871 Basic and diluted loss per share: Loss from continuing operations $ (0.18 ) $ (0.82 ) Loss from discontinued operations (0.24 ) (0.20 ) Basic and diluted loss per share $ (0.42 ) $ (1.02 ) For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for continuing operations: Loss from continuing operations $ (35,549 ) $ (150,792 ) Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests 892 2,652 Loss from continuing operations attributable to Laureate Education, Inc. (34,657 ) (148,140 ) Accretion of redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity 1,130 (635 ) Adjusted for: accretion related to noncontrolling interests and equity redeemable at fair value (559 ) (6,357 ) Accretion of Series A Preferred Stock (61,974 ) (185,149 ) Gain upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock 74,110 — Subtotal: accretion of Series A Preferred Stock, net and other redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity 12,707 (192,141 ) Net income (loss) available to common stockholders for basic earnings per share (21,950 ) (340,281 ) Adjusted for: accretion of Series A Preferred Stock 61,974 — Adjusted for: gain upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock (74,110 ) — Net loss from continuing operations available to common stockholders for diluted earnings per share $ (34,086 ) $ (340,281 ) Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for discontinued operations: (Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax $ 22,459 $ 44,047 Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax 311,904 — Income attributable to noncontrolling interests (1,207 ) (287 ) Net income from discontinued operations for basic and diluted earnings per share $ 333,156 $ 43,760 Denominator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share: Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding 209,129 167,261 Basic earnings (loss) per share: Income (loss) from continuing operations $ (0.10 ) $ (2.03 ) Income from discontinued operations 1.59 0.26 Basic earnings (loss) per share $ 1.49 $ (1.77 ) Diluted earnings (loss) per share: Loss from continuing operations $ (0.16 ) $ (2.03 ) Income from discontinued operations 1.59 0.26 Diluted earnings (loss) per share $ 1.43 $ (1.77 )
Schedule of antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	he following table summarizes the number of stock options, shares of restricted stock and restricted stock units (RSUs) that were excluded from the diluted EPS calculations because the effect would have been antidilutive: For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Stock options 9,328 13,443 9,628 12,957 Restricted stock and RSUs 931 843 1,034 730

Fair Value Measurement (Tables)

Fair Value Measurement (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Summary of financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis	Laureate’s financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2018 were as follows: Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Assets Derivative instruments $ 682 $ — $ — $ 682 Liabilities Derivative instruments $ 7,293 $ — $ — $ 7,293 Laureate’s financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2017 were as follows: Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Assets Derivative instruments $ 48,186 $ — $ — $ 48,186 Liabilities Derivative instruments $ 13,848 $ — $ — $ 13,848
Summary of the change in Level 3 derivatives instruments	The changes in our Level 3 Derivative instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 were as follows: Balance at December 31, 2017 $ 34,338 (Loss) Gain included in earnings: Unrealized losses, net (37,611 ) Realized gains, net 129,723 Included in other comprehensive income 11,776 Settlements (3,520 ) Reclassification upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock (140,320 ) Currency translation adjustment and other (997 ) Balance at September 30, 2018 $ (6,611 ) Unrealized loss, net, relating to derivatives held at September 30, 2018 $ (37,611 )
Fair value inputs, assets, quantitative information	The following table presents quantitative information regarding the significant unobservable inputs utilized in the fair value measurements of the Company's assets/(liabilities) classified as Level 3 as of September 30, 2018 : Fair Value at September 30, 2018 Valuation Technique Unobservable Input Range/Input Value Derivative instruments - cross currency and interest rate swaps $ (6,611 ) Discounted Cash Flow Credit Risk 3.39 % The following table presents quantitative information regarding the significant unobservable inputs utilized in the fair value measurements of the Company's assets/(liabilities) classified as Level 3 as of September 30, 2018 : Fair Value at September 30, 2018 Valuation Technique Unobservable Input Range/Input Value Derivative instruments - cross currency and interest rate swaps $ (6,611 ) Discounted Cash Flow Credit Risk 3.39 %

Supplemental Cash Flow Inform_2

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Schedule of cash and cash equivalents	The September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017 balances sum to the amounts shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 : September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 December 31, 2017 Cash and cash equivalents $ 392,348 $ 299,010 $ 320,567 Restricted cash 196,790 187,260 212,215 Total Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows $ 589,138 $ 486,270 $ 532,782
Schedule of restricted cash	The September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017 balances sum to the amounts shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 : September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 December 31, 2017 Cash and cash equivalents $ 392,348 $ 299,010 $ 320,567 Restricted cash 196,790 187,260 212,215 Total Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows $ 589,138 $ 486,270 $ 532,782

Description of Business - Addit

Description of Business - Additional Information (Details) - IPO - Class A Common Stock - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	Feb. 06, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017
Subsidiary, Sale of Stock [Line Items]
Shares sold in initial public offering (in shares)	35,000,000
Sale price of common stock in IPO (in dollars per share)	$ 14
Net proceeds from initial public offering		$ 456,359

Significant Accounting Polici_4

Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Variable Interest Entities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	$ 787,102	$ 818,601	$ 2,436,514	$ 2,434,687
Depreciation and amortization			189,961	199,394
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)	25,576	24,859	151,175	101,877
Net income	(96,684)	(103,490)	298,814	(106,745)
Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	(94,789)	(97,959)	298,499	(104,380)
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents	392,348	299,010	392,348	299,010	$ 320,567
Current assets held for sale	346,702		346,702		324,668
Other current assets	715,437		715,437		643,459
Total current assets (includes VIE amounts of $642,133 and $407,315, see Note 2)	1,454,487		1,454,487		1,288,694
Goodwill	1,709,586		1,709,586		1,828,365
Tradenames	1,130,186		1,130,186		1,167,302
Other intangible assets, net	25,455		25,455		35,779
Long-term assets held for sale	1,007,344		1,007,344		1,224,672
Other long-term assets	1,663,478		1,663,478		1,846,473
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,334,870 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	6,990,536		6,990,536		7,391,285
Current liabilities held for sale	394,229		394,229		451,569
Other current liabilities	1,143,036		1,143,036		923,020
Long-term liabilities held for sale	353,338		353,338		405,747
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	3,115,595		3,115,595		3,609,670
Total liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $382,380 and $449,561, see Note 2)	5,006,198		5,006,198		5,390,006
Total stockholders' equity	1,971,667		1,971,667		1,587,282
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	1,983,336		1,983,336		1,575,164
Brazil
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	374,955		374,955		493,373
Mexico
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	524,328		524,328		503,373
Andean
Balance Sheets data:
Goodwill	256,404		256,404		272,181
Operating Segments | Brazil
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	121,089	170,497	469,480	547,971
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,334,870 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	989,206		989,206		1,256,364
Operating Segments | Mexico
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	148,325	141,175	463,868	451,993
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,334,870 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	1,024,731		1,024,731		969,400
Operating Segments | Andean
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	299,613	295,160	844,213	779,135
Balance Sheets data:
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,334,870 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	1,737,234		1,737,234		1,714,819
Other operations
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)	25,576	24,859	151,175	101,877
Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	21,564	40,366	241,920	278,804
Corporate and eliminations
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	(135,165)	(149,253)	33,719	(391,492)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Balance Sheets data:
Cash and cash equivalents	146,927		146,927		100,971
Current assets held for sale	170,886		170,886		170,229
Other current assets	324,320		324,320		136,115
Total current assets (includes VIE amounts of $642,133 and $407,315, see Note 2)	642,133		642,133		407,315
Goodwill	174,600		174,600		183,812
Tradenames	69,107		69,107		74,484
Other intangible assets, net	0		0		0
Long-term assets held for sale	151,310		151,310		369,375
Other long-term assets	297,720		297,720		384,593
Total assets (includes VIE amounts of $1,334,870 and $1,419,579, see Note 2)	1,334,870		1,334,870		1,419,579
Current liabilities held for sale	114,569		114,569		183,166
Other current liabilities	200,291		200,291		157,981
Long-term liabilities held for sale	38,696		38,696		84,760
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities	28,824		28,824		23,654
Total liabilities (includes VIE amounts of $382,380 and $449,561, see Note 2)	382,380		382,380		449,561
Total stockholders' equity	952,490		952,490		970,018
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	952,317		952,317		$ 948,966
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	119,888	114,505	325,512	300,442
Depreciation and amortization	6,163	6,626	19,398	20,397
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)	12,817	6,427	7,309	(4,091)
Net income	18,812	10,928	22,860	8,308
Net (loss) income attributable to Laureate Education, Inc.	18,812	10,928	22,860	8,308
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Brazil
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	0	11	0	57
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)	(16)	(23)	(56)	(30)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Mexico
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	4	0	89	0
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)	(121)	(163)	(349)	(516)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Operating Segments | Andean
Revenues, by segment:
Revenues	119,884	114,494	325,423	300,385
Operating income (loss), by segment:
Operating income (loss)	$ 12,954	$ 6,613	$ 7,714	$ (3,545)

Significant Accounting Polici_5

Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Balances of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
SEC Schedule, 12-09, Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
Accounts, receivables deemed uncollectible, period	2 years
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
SEC Schedule, 12-09, Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	$ 182,965	$ 169,014
Additions: charges to bad debt expense	74,969	79,408
Deductions	(90,494)	(68,155)
Balance at end of period	$ 167,440	$ 180,267

Significant Accounting Polici_6

Significant Accounting Policies - New Accounting Pronouncements (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)university	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Loss on impairment of assets	$ 10,030	$ 0	$ 10,030	$ 0
Retained earnings	(643,407)		(643,407)			$ (946,236)
Revenues	787,102	$ 818,601	2,436,514	2,434,687
ASU 2014-09 | Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Retained earnings	$ 7,488		7,488		$ 1,400
Revenues			$ 2,577
ASU 2016-15
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Decrease in operating activities				(65,000)
Increase in financing activities				65,000
ASU 2016-16
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Retained earnings					$ 2,900
ASU 2016-18
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Decrease in operating activities				1,743
Increase in investing cash flow				$ 3,921
Chile
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Number of consolidated non profit universities | university			3

Significant Accounting Polici_7

Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of impact of Topic 606 adoption on Statement of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Statement of Operations data:
Revenues	$ 787,102	$ 818,601	$ 2,436,514	$ 2,434,687
Costs and Expenses:
Direct costs	677,816	728,743	2,081,125	2,110,901
Income tax expense	3,773	(12,530)	(65,822)	(13,668)
Net income	$ (96,684)	$ (103,490)	298,814	$ (106,745)
Balances Without Adoption of ASC 606
Statement of Operations data:
Revenues			2,433,937
Costs and Expenses:
Direct costs			2,084,654
Income tax expense			(65,786)
Net income			292,743
Effect of Change Higher/(Lower) | ASU 2014-09
Statement of Operations data:
Revenues			2,577
Costs and Expenses:
Direct costs			(3,529)
Income tax expense			(36)
Net income			$ 6,071

Significant Accounting Polici_8

Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of impact of Topic 606 adoption on Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Assets
Deferred costs, net	$ 65,896		$ 60,931
Liabilities:
Deferred revenue and student deposits	465,290		184,116
Deferred income taxes	257,083		247,371
Equity:
Accumulated deficit	(643,407)		$ (946,236)
Balances Without Adoption of ASC 606
Assets
Deferred costs, net	60,949
Liabilities:
Deferred revenue and student deposits	467,867
Deferred income taxes	257,047
Equity:
Accumulated deficit	(650,895)
ASU 2014-09 | Effect of Change Higher/(Lower)
Assets
Deferred costs, net	4,947
Liabilities:
Deferred revenue and student deposits	(2,577)
Deferred income taxes	36
Equity:
Accumulated deficit	$ 7,488	$ 1,400

Revenue (Details)

Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 787,102	$ 2,436,514
Percent of net revenues	100.00%	100.00%
Tuition and educational services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 905,377	$ 2,846,984
Percent of net revenues	115.00%	117.00%
Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 61,727	$ 175,834
Percent of net revenues	8.00%	7.00%
Gross revenue
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 967,104	$ 3,022,818
Percent of net revenues	123.00%	124.00%
Less: Discounts / waivers / scholarships
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	$ (180,002)	$ (586,304)
Percent of net revenues	(23.00%)	(24.00%)
Operating Segments | Brazil
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 121,089	$ 469,480
Operating Segments | Brazil | Tuition and educational services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	196,670	741,945
Operating Segments | Brazil | Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	2,272	7,974
Operating Segments | Brazil | Gross revenue
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	198,942	749,919
Operating Segments | Brazil | Less: Discounts / waivers / scholarships
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	(77,853)	(280,439)
Operating Segments | Mexico
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	148,325	463,868
Operating Segments | Mexico | Tuition and educational services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	158,602	499,876
Operating Segments | Mexico | Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	23,676	68,905
Operating Segments | Mexico | Gross revenue
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	182,278	568,781
Operating Segments | Mexico | Less: Discounts / waivers / scholarships
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	(33,953)	(104,913)
Operating Segments | Andean
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	299,613	844,213
Operating Segments | Andean | Tuition and educational services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	312,274	889,290
Operating Segments | Andean | Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	22,594	59,523
Operating Segments | Andean | Gross revenue
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	334,868	948,813
Operating Segments | Andean | Less: Discounts / waivers / scholarships
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	(35,255)	(104,600)
Operating Segments | Rest of World
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	56,548	170,164
Operating Segments | Rest of World | Tuition and educational services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	57,768	174,192
Operating Segments | Rest of World | Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	3,112	8,350
Operating Segments | Rest of World | Gross revenue
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	60,880	182,542
Operating Segments | Rest of World | Less: Discounts / waivers / scholarships
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	(4,332)	(12,378)
Operating Segments | Online & Partnerships
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	165,221	498,207
Operating Segments | Online & Partnerships | Tuition and educational services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	180,063	541,681
Operating Segments | Online & Partnerships | Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	13,767	40,500
Operating Segments | Online & Partnerships | Gross revenue
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	193,830	582,181
Operating Segments | Online & Partnerships | Less: Discounts / waivers / scholarships
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	(28,609)	(83,974)
Corporate
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	(3,694)	(9,418)
Corporate | Tuition and educational services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	0	0
Corporate | Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	(3,694)	(9,418)
Corporate | Gross revenue
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	(3,694)	(9,418)
Corporate | Less: Discounts / waivers / scholarships
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 0	$ 0

Revenue - Narrative (Details)

Revenue - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Accounts and notes receivable	$ 571,240,000	$ 474,456,000
Deferred revenue and student deposits, current	465,290,000	184,116,000
Revenue recognized	166,000,000
Capitalized contract cost	8,300,000	0
Capitalized contract cost, accumulated amortization	3,400,000	$ 0
Amortization of capitalized costs	$ 3,400,000
Minimum
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Contract cost, amortization period	2 years
Maximum
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Contract cost, amortization period	4 years
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2018-10-01
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Remaining performance obligation, expected timing of satisfaction	12 months
Commission And Bonuses
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Remaining performance obligations recognition period	one year or less
Incremental Costs Of Obtaining A Contract With Customer
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Remaining performance obligations recognition period	one year or less
Incremental Cost Of Obtaining A Contract With Students
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Remaining performance obligations recognition period	one year or less

Discontinued Operations and A_3

Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale - Narrative (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018institution
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Number of discontinued VIE institution	7

Discontinued Operations and A_4

Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale - Summarized operating results of the Discontinued Operations (Details) - Discontinued Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 151,430	$ 164,793	$ 635,223	$ 682,079
Depreciation and amortization	6,321	15,994	26,632	46,885
Share-based compensation expense	173	679	920	1,755
Other direct costs	176,686	178,675	526,706	560,028
Operating income	(31,750)	(30,555)	80,965	73,411
Other non-operating expense	(5,621)	(4,425)	(18,794)	(14,239)
Pretax income of discontinued operations	(37,371)	(34,980)	62,171	59,172
Income tax expense	2,905	(1,329)	(39,712)	(15,125)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	$ (34,466)	$ (36,309)	22,459	44,047
Operating cash flows of discontinued operations			148,251	153,707
Investing cash flows of discontinued operations			(38,876)	(25,056)
Financing cash flows of discontinued operations			$ (15,284)	$ (34,909)

Discontinued Operations and A_5

Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale - Summary of Major Classes of Assets and Liabilities Reclassified to Held for Sale (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Subtotal: assets of Discontinued Operations	$ 1,354,046	$ 1,549,340
Total liabilities held for sale	747,567	857,316
Discontinued operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	209,148	197,898
Receivables, net	85,298	83,045
Property and equipment, net	637,639	830,408
Goodwill	131,958	159,042
Tradenames	126,292	156,746
Other assets	97,829	122,201
Subtotal: assets of Discontinued Operations	1,288,164	1,549,340
Deferred revenue and student deposits	211,086	223,163
Long-term debt, including current portion	275,024	319,473
Other liabilities	243,223	314,680
Total liabilities held for sale	729,333	857,316
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Deferred revenue and student deposits	1,598	0
Long-term debt, including current portion	4,973	0
Other liabilities	11,663	0
Total liabilities held for sale	18,234	0
UniNorte Brazil | Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Receivables, net	8,311	0
Property and equipment, net	15,254	0
Goodwill	21,665	0
Tradenames	7,664	0
Other assets	12,988	0
Subtotal: assets of Discontinued Operations	$ 65,882	$ 0

Discontinued Operations and A_6

Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale - University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, LLC (St. Augustine) (Details) $ in Thousands	Apr. 24, 2018USD ($)
St. Augustine | Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Consideration received from dispositions	$ 400,000

Discontinued Operations and A_7

Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale - Monash South Africa (Details) - Sep. 07, 2018 R in Thousands, $ in Thousands	USD ($)	ZAR (R)
Monash South Africa (MSA) | Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Consideration received from dispositions	$ 23,900	R 343,000

Dispositions (Details)

Dispositions (Details) € in Thousands, د.م. in Thousands, ¥ in Thousands, $ in Thousands, $ in Thousands

Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)

Sep. 30, 2018CNY (¥)

Aug. 06, 2018USD ($)

Jul. 27, 2018USD ($)

Jul. 27, 2018HKD ($)

Apr. 13, 2018USD ($)

Apr. 13, 2018MAD (د.م.)

Apr. 12, 2018USD ($)

Apr. 12, 2018EUR (€)

Feb. 01, 2018USD ($)

Jan. 25, 2018USD ($)

Jan. 25, 2018CNY (¥)

Jan. 11, 2018USD ($)

Jan. 11, 2018EUR (€)

Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)

Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)

Nov. 29, 2017MAD (د.م.)

Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Repayments of debt

$ 838,542

$ 2,695,511

Cash and restricted cash acquired

$ 589,138

589,138

$ 486,270

$ 532,782

$ 474,337

Lines of credit | Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement | Term Loan

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Repayments of debt

$ 350,000

European University–Cyprus Ltd And Laureate Italy S.r.L. | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Proceeds from sale of business

$ 275,500

€ 232,000

Net proceeds from dispositions

244,300

Settlement of working capital

$ 4,100

Gain (loss) on sale of business

218,000

LEI Lie Ying Limited | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Proceeds from sale of business

$ 128,800

Net proceeds from dispositions

$ 110,800

Gain (loss) on sale of business

99,500

First payment due after the closing date

6 months

6 months

Proceeds from first holdback payment

$ 18,117

$ 142,221

¥ 120,000

Second payment due after the closing date

12 months

12 months

Proceeds from second holdback payment

9,000

¥ 60,000

Receivables from sale of business, noncurrent

25,900

25,900

Amounts of material contingent liabilities remaining

$ 15,000

15,000

LEI Lie Ying Limited | Affiliated Entity | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Disposal transaction fees

$ 16,000

Laureate Germany Holding GmbH | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Gain (loss) on sale of business

(5,500)

Capital contribution

$ 3,600

Transfer taxes paid

400

Laureate Somed Holding | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Gain (loss) on sale of business

$ 17,400

Laureate Somed Holding | Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Proceeds from sale of business

$ 32,500

د.م. 300,000

Net proceeds from dispositions

$ 31,100

Consideration received from dispositions | د.م.

د.م. 500,000

LEI European Investments B.V. (LEI BV) | Laureate Germany Holding GmbH | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Proceeds from sale of business

1,200

€ 1,000

Laureate Germany

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Cash and restricted cash acquired

$ 12,900

La Société Maroc Emirats Arabes Unis de Développement | Laureate Somed Holding | Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Noncontrolling interest, noncontrolling owners, ownership percent

40.00%

Payment Guarantee | Construction Contracts | Kendall College

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Gain (loss) on sale of business

$ (17,000)

Payment obligation, construction contract

$ 14,000

Guarantor obligation, term

P10Y

Payment obligation, working capital adjustment

$ 2,100

Payment Guarantee | Remaining Lease Costs Minus Sublease Income | Kendall College

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Value of guarantor obligation

$ 24,000

Laureate Somed Holding | Laureate Middle East Holdings B.V. | Laureate Somed Holding | Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Noncontrolling interest, ownership percentage by parent

60.00%

Due to Shareholders of Acquir_3

Due to Shareholders of Acquired Companies - Summary of Amounts Due to Shareholders of Acquired Companies (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total due to shareholders of acquired companies	$ 43,110	$ 71,785
Less: Current portion of due to shareholders of acquired companies	23,065	34,745
Due to shareholders of acquired companies, less current portion	20,045	37,040
Universidade Anhembi Morumbi (UAM Brazil)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total due to shareholders of acquired companies	$ 28,577	45,206
Universidade Anhembi Morumbi (UAM Brazil) | Certificados de Depósitos Interbancários (CDI) | Related Party Notes Payable
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	2.00%
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, LLC (St. Augustine)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total due to shareholders of acquired companies	$ 11,550	11,550
Interest Rate %	7.00%
Faculdade Porto-Alegrense (FAPA)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total due to shareholders of acquired companies	$ 1,806	3,084
IADE Group
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total due to shareholders of acquired companies	$ 1,177	2,374
Interest Rate %	3.00%
Monash South Africa (MSA)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total due to shareholders of acquired companies	$ 0	$ 9,571

Business and Geographic Segme_3

Business and Geographic Segment Information - Additional Information (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018campusstatelicensed_institutionsegmenteducational_institution
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of operating segments (segment) | segment	6
Brazil
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of students attending post secondary education In a private educational institutions, percent	75.00%
Number of postsecondary educational institutions (educational institution) | educational_institution	13
Number of states in which entity operates (state) | state	8
Mexico
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of postsecondary educational institutions (educational institution) | educational_institution	2
Number of campuses of postsecondary educational institutions (campus) | campus	40
Chile
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of students attending post secondary education In a private educational institutions, percent	80.00%
Saudi Arabia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of licensed institutions managed through joint venture arrangements (licensed institution) | licensed_institution	8
China
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of licensed institutions managed through joint venture arrangements (licensed institution) | licensed_institution	1

Business and Geographic Segme_4

Business and Geographic Segment Information - Schedule of Segment Financial Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 787,102	$ 818,601	$ 2,436,514	$ 2,434,687
Reconciling items:
Loss on impairment of assets	(10,030)	0	(10,030)	0
Share-based compensation expense	(6,561)	(8,632)	(10,492)	(43,969)
Operating income	25,576	24,859	151,175	101,877
Interest income	3,502	3,677	9,358	9,702
Interest expense	(58,319)	(69,103)	(181,764)	(256,677)
Loss on debt extinguishment			(7,481)	(8,425)
(Loss) gain on derivatives	(144)	(19,930)	92,112	19,187
Other income (expense), net	8,312	(778)	10,815	(568)
Foreign currency exchange (loss) gain, net	(26,492)	6,624	(43,942)	(2,221)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of affiliates	(47,565)	(54,651)	30,273	(137,125)
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	(3,694)	(5,651)	(9,418)	(14,550)
Segment Reconciling Items
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Adjusted EBITDA of reportable segments	166,009	148,669	521,937	504,163
Reconciling items:
Corporate	(45,544)	(48,731)	(127,539)	(152,676)
Depreciation and amortization expense	(53,475)	(51,936)	(163,329)	(152,509)
Loss on impairment of assets	(10,030)	0	(10,030)	0
Share-based compensation expense	(6,388)	(7,953)	(9,572)	(42,214)
EiP expenses	(24,996)	(15,190)	(60,292)	(54,887)
Operating income	25,576	24,859	151,175	101,877
Interest income	3,502	3,677	9,358	9,702
Interest expense	(58,319)	(69,103)	(181,764)	(256,677)
Loss on debt extinguishment	0	0	(7,481)	(8,425)
(Loss) gain on derivatives	(144)	(19,930)	92,112	19,187
Other income (expense), net	8,312	(778)	10,815	(568)
Foreign currency exchange (loss) gain, net	(26,492)	6,624	(43,942)	(2,221)
Brazil | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	121,089	170,497	469,480	547,971
Brazil | Segment Reconciling Items
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Adjusted EBITDA of reportable segments	682	9,138	52,600	61,289
Mexico | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	148,325	141,175	463,868	451,993
Mexico | Segment Reconciling Items
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Adjusted EBITDA of reportable segments	23,715	6,465	81,965	78,590
Andean | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	299,613	295,160	844,213	779,135
Andean | Segment Reconciling Items
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Adjusted EBITDA of reportable segments	90,610	90,594	235,376	208,469
Rest of World | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	56,548	49,045	170,164	149,156
Rest of World | Segment Reconciling Items
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Adjusted EBITDA of reportable segments	5,277	(411)	15,870	10,062
Online & Partnerships | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	165,221	168,375	498,207	520,982
Online & Partnerships | Segment Reconciling Items
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Adjusted EBITDA of reportable segments	$ 45,725	$ 42,883	$ 136,126	$ 145,753

Business and Geographic Segme_5

Business and Geographic Segment Information - Schedule of Assets by Geographic Areas (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	$ 6,990,536	$ 7,391,285
Operating Segments | Brazil
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	989,206	1,256,364
Operating Segments | Mexico
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	1,024,731	969,400
Operating Segments | Andean
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	1,737,234	1,714,819
Operating Segments | Rest of World
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	230,780	225,429
Operating Segments | Online & Partnerships
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	1,244,418	1,294,147
Corporate and Discontinued Operations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	$ 1,764,167	$ 1,931,126

Goodwill - Summary of Change in

Goodwill - Summary of Change in the Net Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at December 31, 2017	$ 1,828,365
Acquisitions	0
Dispositions	0
Reclassification to Long-term assets held for sale	(21,664)
Impairments	0
Currency translation adjustments	(97,115)
Adjustments to prior acquisitions	0
Balance at September 30, 2018	1,709,586
Brazil
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at December 31, 2017	493,373
Acquisitions	0
Dispositions	0
Reclassification to Long-term assets held for sale	(21,664)
Impairments	0
Currency translation adjustments	(96,754)
Adjustments to prior acquisitions	0
Balance at September 30, 2018	374,955
Mexico
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at December 31, 2017	503,373
Acquisitions	0
Dispositions	0
Reclassification to Long-term assets held for sale	0
Impairments	0
Currency translation adjustments	20,955
Adjustments to prior acquisitions	0
Balance at September 30, 2018	524,328
Andean
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at December 31, 2017	272,181
Acquisitions	0
Dispositions	0
Reclassification to Long-term assets held for sale	0
Impairments	0
Currency translation adjustments	(15,777)
Adjustments to prior acquisitions	0
Balance at September 30, 2018	256,404
Rest of World
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at December 31, 2017	98,698
Acquisitions	0
Dispositions	0
Reclassification to Long-term assets held for sale	0
Impairments	0
Currency translation adjustments	(5,539)
Adjustments to prior acquisitions	0
Balance at September 30, 2018	93,159
Online & Partnerships
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at December 31, 2017	460,740
Acquisitions	0
Dispositions	0
Reclassification to Long-term assets held for sale	0
Impairments	0
Currency translation adjustments	0
Adjustments to prior acquisitions	0
Balance at September 30, 2018	$ 460,740

Debt - Schedule of Long-term De

Debt - Schedule of Long-term Debt Outstanding (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Capital lease obligations and sale-leaseback financings	$ 108,691	$ 139,758
Total long-term debt	2,701,184	3,200,565
Less: total unamortized deferred financing costs	91,184	105,299
Less: current portion of long-term debt	104,502	121,870
Long-term debt, less current portion	2,505,498	2,973,396
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior and other debt	800,000	800,000
Lines of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior and other debt	52,226	42,195
Notes payable and other debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior and other debt	512,537	593,268
Senior and Other Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior and other debt	2,592,493	3,060,807
Senior Long-term Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior and other debt	2,027,730	2,425,344
Secured Credit Facility | Senior Secured Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior and other debt	$ 1,227,730	$ 1,625,344

Debt - Schedule Estimated Fair

Debt - Schedule Estimated Fair Values of Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Carrying amount
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior and other debt	$ 2,592,493	$ 3,060,807
Estimated fair value
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior and other debt	$ 2,654,632	$ 3,117,437

Debt - Amendment to Senior Secu

Debt - Amendment to Senior Secured Credit Facility - 2024 Term Loan (Details) $ in Thousands	Feb. 01, 2018USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of debt			$ 838,542	$ 2,695,511
Lines of credit | Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement | Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of debt	$ 350,000
Cash interest payments	$ 1,239
Repurchase price, percent	1.00%
Lines of credit | Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement | Term Loan | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	3.50%	4.50%
Lines of credit | Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement | Term Loan | Alternate Base Rate (ABR)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	2.50%	3.50%
Maximum | Lines of credit | Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement | Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate, increase (decrease)	(0.01)

Debt - Certain Covenants (Detai

Debt - Certain Covenants (Details) - Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018
Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of utilized line of credit	25.00%
Lines of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum debt to consolidated EBITDA ratio	4.75
Lines of credit | Revolving Credit Facility | June 30, 2018 and thereafter
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Required minimum Debt to Consolidated EBITDA ratio	3.5

Commitments and Contingencies -

Commitments and Contingencies - Noncontrolling Interest Holder Put Agreements and Company Call Arrangements (Details) - Puttable non-controlling interest $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	$ 10,958
Total noncontrolling interest holder put arrangements	$ 10,958

Commitments and Contingencies_2

Commitments and Contingencies - Summary of Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
INTI Education Holdings Sdn Bhd
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Noncontrolling interest, noncontrolling owners, ownership percent	10.10%
Pearl Retail Solutions Private Limited
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Noncontrolling interest, noncontrolling owners, ownership percent	10.00%
Puttable common stock | INTI Education Holdings Sdn Bhd
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Estimated Value as of September 30, 2018 redeemable within 12-months:	$ 9,016
Reported Value	9,016
Puttable common stock | Pearl Retail Solutions Private Limited
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Estimated Value as of September 30, 2018 redeemable within 12-months:	1,880
Reported Value	1,880
Puttable preferred stock | Stamford International University
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Estimated Value as of September 30, 2018 redeemable within 12-months:	62
Reported Value	62
Puttable non-controlling interest
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Estimated Value as of September 30, 2018 redeemable within 12-months:	10,958
Reported Value	10,958
Puttable common stock - not currently redeemable
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Estimated Value as of September 30, 2018 redeemable within 12-months:	0
Reported Value	1,713
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Estimated Value as of September 30, 2018 redeemable within 12-months:	10,958
Reported Value	$ 12,671	$ 13,721

Commitments and Contingencies_3

Commitments and Contingencies - Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock Offering (Details) - USD ($)	Apr. 23, 2018	Jan. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Subsidiary, Sale of Stock [Line Items]
Proceeds from issuance of convertible redeemable preferred stock, net of issuance costs					$ 0	$ 55,290,000
Payment of dividends on Series A Preferred Stock					11,103,000	5,252,000
Gain upon conversion of Series A convertible redeemable preferred stock					74,110,000	0
Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock
Subsidiary, Sale of Stock [Line Items]
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity			$ 0	$ 83,955,000	61,974,000	185,149,000
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity			$ 0		0		$ 400,276,000
Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock | Additional paid-in capital
Subsidiary, Sale of Stock [Line Items]
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity					61,974,000
Series A Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock - Beneficial Conversion Feature
Subsidiary, Sale of Stock [Line Items]
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity					$ (265,368,000)
Series A Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock - Beneficial Conversion Feature | Additional paid-in capital
Subsidiary, Sale of Stock [Line Items]
Accretion period					1 year
Series A Preferred Stock
Subsidiary, Sale of Stock [Line Items]
Payment of dividends on Series A Preferred Stock					$ 11,103,000	$ 5,175,000
Class A Common Stock
Subsidiary, Sale of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.004		$ 0.004		$ 0.004		$ 0.004
Private Placement | Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock
Subsidiary, Sale of Stock [Line Items]
Sale of stock, number of shares agreed to be issued in transaction (in shares)		400,000
Proceeds from issuance of convertible redeemable preferred stock, net of issuance costs		$ 400,000,000
Number of shares converted (in shares)	36,143,000

Commitments and Contingencies_4

Commitments and Contingencies - Other Loss Contingencies (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 12, 2014	Apr. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Long-term indemnification assets			$ 95,956		$ 98,493
UAM Brazil
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Noncontrolling interest, noncontrolling owners, ownership percent		49.00%
Brazil
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Estimate of possible contingency loss			39,000
Pending Litigation
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Contingent liabilities recorded			$ 35,000		18,000
Taxes, Other-Than-Income Tax
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, statues of limitations			10 years
Taxes, Other-Than-Income Tax And Indemnification Assets
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Increases/(decreases) to operating income for adjustments to non-income tax contingencies and indemnification assets			$ 857	$ 4,905
Income Tax Contingencies
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Contingent liabilities recorded			68,404		103,189
Guarantee of Indebtedness of Others | Chile
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, noncurrent			33,884		27,073
Guarantee amount, maximum potential amount of payments			511,000		527,000
Guarantee Obligations
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Percent of shares of company acquired in a business combination, used as a guarantee		49.00%
Other Noncurrent Liabilities | Taxes, Other-Than-Income Tax
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, noncurrent			64,997		77,258
Repayment Guarantee For Loans That Financed A Portion Of The Purchase Price
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Percentage of shares as guarantee of payment obligations	75.00%
Repayment Guarantee For Obligations Under The Purchase Agreement For The Seller Notes
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Percentage of shares as guarantee of payment obligations	25.00%
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Long-term indemnification assets			600		935
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale | Pending Litigation
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Contingent liabilities recorded			18,000		4,000
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale | Income Tax Contingencies
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Contingent liabilities recorded			8,680		9,300
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale | Other Noncurrent Liabilities | Taxes, Other-Than-Income Tax
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, noncurrent			$ 5,072		$ 7,240

Commitments and Contingencies_5

Commitments and Contingencies - Standby Letters of Credit, Surety Bonds and Other Commitments (Details) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Surety Bond
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Guarantee amount, maximum potential amount of payments		$ 22,410,000	$ 13,980,000
Cash Collateralized Letter Of Credit - Spain Tax Audits
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of credit outstanding, amount			39,505,000
Non-Collateralized Surety Bond - UAM Brazil | Surety Bond
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Guarantee amount, maximum potential amount of payments	$ 15,300,000
Cost of surety bond	$ 1,400,000
Guarantor obligation, term	P5Y
Kendall College, St. Augustine, Walden University, and NewSchool of Architecture and Design
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of credit outstanding, amount		$ 137,000,000	$ 137,000,000

Financing Receivables - Schedul

Financing Receivables - Schedule of Financing Receivables (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Receivables [Abstract]
Financing receivables	$ 31,506	$ 20,380
Allowance for doubtful accounts	(5,876)	(6,472)	$ (6,229)	$ (7,086)
Financing receivables, net of allowances	$ 25,630	$ 13,908

Financing Receivables - Summary

Financing Receivables - Summary of Aging of Financing Receivables (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due (on non-accrual status)	$ 15,308	$ 11,473
Not past due	16,198	8,907
Total financing receivables	31,506	20,380
Chile
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due (on non-accrual status)	14,811	10,351
Not past due	15,333	8,494
Total financing receivables	30,144	18,845
Other
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Total past due (on non-accrual status)	497	1,122
Not past due	865	413
Total financing receivables	1,362	1,535
Amounts past due less than one year
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Amount past due	11,632	7,721
Amounts past due less than one year | Chile
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Amount past due	11,327	6,800
Amounts past due less than one year | Other
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Amount past due	305	921
Amounts past due one year or greater
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Amount past due	3,676	3,752
Amounts past due one year or greater | Chile
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Amount past due	3,484	3,551
Amounts past due one year or greater | Other
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Amount past due	$ 192	$ 201

Financing Receivables - Allowan

Financing Receivables - Allowance For Credit Losses Rollforward (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ (6,472)	$ (7,086)
Charge-offs	1,375	3,128
Recoveries	0	0
Reclassifications	0	0
Provision	(1,215)	(1,864)
Currency adjustments	436	(407)
Ending balance	(5,876)	(6,229)
Chile
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(6,107)	(6,209)
Charge-offs	1,338	2,798
Recoveries	0	0
Reclassifications	0	0
Provision	(1,233)	(2,089)
Currency adjustments	434	(360)
Ending balance	(5,568)	(5,860)
Other
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(365)	(877)
Charge-offs	37	330
Recoveries	0	0
Reclassifications	0	0
Provision	18	225
Currency adjustments	2	(47)
Ending balance	$ (308)	$ (369)

Financing Receivables - Summa_2

Financing Receivables - Summary of Troubled Debt Restructurings (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)loan	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)loan
Receivables [Abstract]
Number of Financing Receivable Accounts | loan	435	355
Pre-Modification Balance Outstanding	$ 1,345	$ 1,838
Post-Modification Balance Outstanding	$ 1,262	$ 1,655
Number of Financing Receivable Accounts, subsequent defaults | loan	128	156
Balance at Default, subsequent defaults	$ 455	$ 721

Share-based Compensation - Summ

Share-based Compensation - Summary of Share-based Compensation Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Total non-cash stock compensation	$ 6,561	$ 8,632	$ 10,492	$ 43,969
Continuing operations
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Total non-cash stock compensation	6,388	7,953	9,572	42,214
Continuing operations | Stock options, net of estimated forfeitures
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Total non-cash stock compensation	1,932	4,315	(3,333)	32,142
Continuing operations | Restricted stock awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Total non-cash stock compensation	4,456	3,638	12,905	10,072
Discontinued operations
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Total non-cash stock compensation	$ 173	$ 679	$ 920	$ 1,755

Stockholders' Equity - Schedule

Stockholders' Equity - Schedule of Stockholders' Equity (Details) - USD ($) shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period			$ 1,587,282,000
Adoption of accounting standards						$ 4,330,000
Balance, adjusted						1,591,612,000
Non-cash stock compensation			10,492,000
Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding			(1,744,000)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders			(892,000)
Change in noncontrolling interests			(23,773,000)
Reclassification of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity			(309,000)
Net income	$ (96,684,000)	$ (103,490,000)	298,814,000	$ (106,745,000)
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax of $0	(52,750,000)	64,742,000	(166,052,000)	196,593,000
Unrealized gain on derivatives, net of tax of $0	(560,000)	525,000	11,776,000	6,625,000
Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax of $0			376,000
Balance, end of period	1,971,667,000		1,971,667,000
Foreign currency translation adjustment, tax	0	0	0	0
Unrealized gain on derivative instruments, tax	0	0	0	0
Pension adjustment, tax			0	0
Retained earnings	(643,407,000)		(643,407,000)			(946,236,000)
Additional paid-in capital
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period			3,446,206,000
Balance, adjusted						3,446,206,000
Non-cash stock compensation			10,492,000
Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding			(1,746,000)
Change in noncontrolling interests			(468,000)
Balance, end of period	3,705,707,000		3,705,707,000
(Accumulated deficit) retained earnings
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period			(946,236,000)
Adoption of accounting standards						4,330,000
Balance, adjusted						(941,906,000)
Net income			298,499,000
Balance, end of period	(643,407,000)		(643,407,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period			(925,556,000)
Balance, adjusted						(925,556,000)
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax of $0			(166,456,000)
Unrealized gain on derivatives, net of tax of $0			11,776,000
Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax of $0			376,000
Balance, end of period	(1,079,860,000)		(1,079,860,000)
Non-controlling interests
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period			12,118,000
Balance, adjusted						12,118,000
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders			(892,000)
Change in noncontrolling interests			(23,305,000)
Reclassification of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity			(309,000)
Net income			315,000
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax of $0			404,000
Balance, end of period	$ (11,669,000)		$ (11,669,000)
Class A Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance of shares outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)			55,052
Balance of shares outstanding, end of period (in shares)	91,654		91,654
Class A Common Stock | Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance of shares outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)			55,052
Balance, beginning of period			$ 220,000
Balance, adjusted						220,000
Conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares (in shares)			115
Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding (in shares)			344
Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding			$ 2,000
Balance of shares outstanding, end of period (in shares)	91,654		91,654
Balance, end of period	$ 366,000		$ 366,000
Class B Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance of shares outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)			132,443
Balance of shares outstanding, end of period (in shares)	132,387		132,387
Class B Common Stock | Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance of shares outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)			132,443
Balance, beginning of period			$ 530,000
Balance, adjusted						$ 530,000
Conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares (in shares)			(115)
Vesting of restricted stock, net of shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding (in shares)			59
Balance of shares outstanding, end of period (in shares)	132,387		132,387
Balance, end of period	$ 530,000		$ 530,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interest and equity			1,130,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity | Additional paid-in capital
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interest and equity			1,130,000
Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interest and equity	0	$ (83,955,000)	(61,974,000)	$ (185,149,000)
Gain upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock			74,110,000
Reclassification of Series A Preferred Stock upon conversion			$ 238,101,000
Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock | Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Reclassification of Series A Preferred Stock upon conversion (in shares)			36,143
Reclassification of Series A Preferred Stock upon conversion			$ 144,000
Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock | Additional paid-in capital
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interest and equity			(61,974,000)
Gain upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock			74,110,000
Reclassification of Series A Preferred Stock upon conversion			237,957,000
ASU 2014-09 | Adjustment
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income			6,071,000
Retained earnings	$ 7,488,000		$ 7,488,000		$ 1,400,000
ASU 2016-16
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Retained earnings					$ 2,900,000

Stockholders' Equity - Accumula

Stockholders' Equity - Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$ 1,971,667	$ 1,587,282
Accumulated Foreign Currency Adjustment Attributable to Parent
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,093,677)	(927,221)
Accumulated Foreign Currency Adjustment Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	371	(33)
Accumulated Foreign Currency Adjustment Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,093,306)	(927,254)
Accumulated Net Gain (Loss) from Cash Flow Hedges Attributable to Parent
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	16,433	4,657
Accumulated Net Gain (Loss) from Cash Flow Hedges Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Accumulated Net Gain (Loss) from Cash Flow Hedges Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	16,433	4,657
Accumulated Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment Attributable to Parent
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,616)	(2,992)
Accumulated Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Accumulated Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,616)	(2,992)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,079,860)	(925,556)
AOCI Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	371	(33)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$ (1,079,489)	$ (925,589)

Derivative Instruments - Summar

Derivative Instruments - Summary of Fair Value of Derivative Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Apr. 23, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Assets
Derivative instruments	$ 682		$ 48,186
Liabilities
Total derivative instrument assets	682		48,186
Total derivative instrument liabilities	7,293		13,848
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Interest rate swaps
Assets
Derivative instruments	0		6,046
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Net investment cross currency swaps
Assets
Derivative instruments	682		0
Liabilities
Derivative liability, noncurrent	0		1,451
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: | Interest rate swaps
Liabilities
Derivative liability, current	35		179
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: | Contingent redemption features - Series A Preferred Stock
Assets
Derivative instruments	0	$ 140,300	42,140
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: | Cross currency and interest rate swaps
Liabilities
Derivative liability, noncurrent	7,258		7,939
Derivative liability, current	$ 0		$ 4,279

Derivative Instruments - Deriva

Derivative Instruments - Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments Narrative (Details)	Aug. 21, 2018USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)derivative_instrument	Dec. 31, 2017EUR (€)derivative_instrument	May 31, 2017USD ($)swap
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative assets		$ 682,000	$ 48,186,000
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Interest rate swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Gain (loss) recognized in income on the ineffective portion of derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedging		0
Unamortized balance		13,352,000
Fair value of derivative assets		0	6,046,000
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Net investment cross currency swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative assets		682,000	0
Derivative liability, noncurrent		$ 0	$ 1,451,000
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Cash received at settlement	$ 14,117,000
Gain (loss) recognized in income on the ineffective portion of derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedging	$ (1,172,000)
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Cash Flow Hedging | Interest rate swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Number of interest rate derivatives held (derivative instrument) | swap					4
Cash flow effectiveness percent		100.00%
Reclassified from AOCI to income		$ 5,209,000
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Cash Flow Hedging | Interest Rate Swap, Instrument One
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount					$ 100,000,000
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Cash Flow Hedging | Interest Rate Swap, Instrument Two
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount					100,000,000
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Cash Flow Hedging | Interest Rate Swap, Instrument Three
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount					200,000,000
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Cash Flow Hedging | Interest Rate Swap, Instrument Four
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount					$ 300,000,000
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Net Investment Hedging | Net investment cross currency swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Cash flow effectiveness percent		100.00%
Number of currency derivatives held (derivative instrument) | derivative_instrument			2	2
Gain or (loss) recognized in income on the ineffective portion of derivative instruments designated as hedging		$ 0
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Net Investment Hedging | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract, Instrument One
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount			$ 59,210,000	€ 50,000,000
Implied exchange rate			1.1842	1.1842
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Net Investment Hedging | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract, Instrument One | Euro Member Countries, Euro
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Swaption interest rate			5.63%	5.63%
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Net Investment Hedging | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract, Instrument One | United States of America, Dollars
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Swaption interest rate			8.25%	8.25%
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Net Investment Hedging | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract, Instrument Two
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount			$ 59,360,000	€ 50,000,000
Implied exchange rate			1.1872	1.1872
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Net Investment Hedging | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract, Instrument Two | Euro Member Countries, Euro
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Swaption interest rate			5.6675%	5.6675%
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | Net Investment Hedging | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract, Instrument Two | United States of America, Dollars
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Swaption interest rate			8.25%	8.25%

Derivative Instruments - Summ_2

Derivative Instruments - Summary of Unrealized Gain (Loss) Recorded In and Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Details) - Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain Recognized in Comprehensive Income (Effective Portion)	$ (560)	$ 525	$ 11,776	$ 6,625
Loss Reclassified from AOCI to Income (Effective Portion)	950	(972)	912	(6,705)
Interest rate swaps
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain Recognized in Comprehensive Income (Effective Portion)	(1,938)	525	7,307	6,625
Interest rate swaps | Interest expense
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Loss Reclassified from AOCI to Income (Effective Portion)	950	(972)	912	(6,705)
Net investment cross currency swaps
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain Recognized in Comprehensive Income (Effective Portion)	1,378	0	4,469	0
Loss Reclassified from AOCI to Income (Effective Portion)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

Derivative Instruments - Deri_2

Derivative Instruments - Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments (Details) $ in Thousands	Jan. 16, 2018EUR (€)	Dec. 20, 2013AUD ($)loan	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Apr. 23, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)swap	Dec. 31, 2017EUR (€)swap	Jan. 31, 2014AUD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010USD ($)swap
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative assets			$ 682		$ 48,186
Lines of credit | Term Loan Two | Syndicated Facility Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
Borrowing under credit facility		$ 22,500,000
THINK | Lines of credit | Term Loan | Syndicated Facility Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
Borrowing under credit facility		$ 45,000,000	32,724
Number of term loans (loan) | loan		2
Days to enter into interest rate swap (within)		45 days
Required percentage of term loan to be converted to fixed interest rate (at least)		50.00%
THINK | Lines of credit | Term Loan One | Syndicated Facility Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
Borrowing under credit facility		$ 22,500,000
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: | Contingent redemption features - Series A Preferred Stock
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative assets			0	$ 140,300	42,140
Probability of conversion				100.00%
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: | Interest rate swaps | THINK
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount							$ 22,500,000
Variable interest converted			16,362				$ 22,500,000
Derivative, fixed interest rate							3.86%
Derivative liability, noncurrent			35		$ 179
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: | Foreign Exchange Forward
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount | €						€ 200,000,000
Number of currency derivatives held (derivative instrument) | swap					6	6
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives | €	€ (9,960,000)
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: | Cross currency and interest rate swaps
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative liability, noncurrent			7,258		$ 7,939
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: | Cross currency and interest rate swaps | Chile
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount								$ 31,000
Derivative liability, noncurrent			$ 7,258		$ 7,939
Derivative, number of instruments held (derivative instrument) | swap								4
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract, Maturing December 1, 2024 | Chile
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, number of instruments held (derivative instrument) | swap								1
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract, Maturing July 1, 2025 | Chile
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, number of instruments held (derivative instrument) | swap								3

Derivative Instruments - Realiz

Derivative Instruments - Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments (Details) - Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain (Loss)	$ 69	$ (19,765)	$ (37,611)	$ 19,621
Realized (Loss) Gain	(213)	(165)	129,723	(434)
Total (Loss) Gain	(144)	(19,930)	92,112	19,187
Contingent redemption features - Series A Preferred Stock
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain (Loss)	0	(19,974)	(42,140)	19,468
Realized (Loss) Gain	0	0	140,320	0
Total (Loss) Gain	0	(19,974)	98,180	19,468
Cross currency and interest rate swaps
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain (Loss)	33	151	4,391	24
Realized (Loss) Gain	(213)	(165)	(10,597)	(434)
Total (Loss) Gain	(180)	(14)	(6,206)	(410)
Interest rate swaps
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain (Loss)	36	58	138	129
Total (Loss) Gain	$ 36	$ 58	$ 138	$ 129

Derivative Instruments - Credit

Derivative Instruments - Credit Risk and Credit-Risk-Related Contingent Feature (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)institution	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative asset | $	$ 682	$ 48,186
Derivative liability | $	$ 7,293	$ 13,848
Moody's, Aa3 Rating
Derivative [Line Items]
Number of financial institutions company does transactions with	1
Moody's, A1 Rating
Derivative [Line Items]
Number of financial institutions company does transactions with	1
Moody's, A2 Rating
Derivative [Line Items]
Number of financial institutions company does transactions with	1
Moody's, A3 Rating
Derivative [Line Items]
Number of financial institutions company does transactions with	1

Income Taxes - Additional Infor

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Details) € in Thousands, $ in Thousands

Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)

Jun. 29, 2012EUR (€)

Oct. 31, 2018USD ($)

Oct. 31, 2018EUR (€)

Oct. 31, 2015EUR (€)

Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)

Mar. 31, 2018EUR (€)

Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)

Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)

Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)

Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2015EUR (€)

Dec. 31, 2013audit

Dec. 31, 2017EUR (€)

Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]

Transition tax for accumulated foreign earnings, provisional income tax expense

$ 149,800

Transition tax for accumulated foreign earnings, provisional liability

3,200

Provisional income tax expense (benefit)

(66,900)

Change in tax rate, deferred tax asset, provisional income tax expense (benefit), net of adjustments

(70,700)

Benefit from release of valuation allowance for state conformity

$ 400

Income tax expense (benefit)

$ (3,773)

$ 12,530

$ 65,822

$ 13,668

Foreign Tax Authority | Tax Authority, Spain

Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]

Number of tax audits (audit) | audit

2

Letters of credit outstanding, amount | €

€ 33,282

Income tax expense (benefit)

$ 42,100

€ 37,610

Income taxes paid

$ 34,800

€ 29,600

Tax Year 2006 Through 2008 | Foreign Tax Authority | Tax Authority, Spain

Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]

Possible loss from tax audits

13,000

€ 11,051

Tax Year 2008 Through 2010 | Foreign Tax Authority | Tax Authority, Spain

Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]

Possible loss from tax audits

$ 20,200

€ 17,187

Cash Collateralized Letter Of Credit - Spain Tax Audits

Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]

Letters of credit outstanding, amount

$ 39,505

Subsequent Event | Tax Year 2011 Through 2013 | Foreign Tax Authority | Tax Authority, Spain

Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]

Possible loss from tax audits

$ 4,800

€ 4,066

Earnings (Loss) Per Share - Sum

Earnings (Loss) Per Share - Summary of Earnings (Loss) Per Share Basic and Diluted (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for continuing operations:
Net income (loss)	$ (43,792)	$ (67,181)	$ (35,549)	$ (150,792)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	2,037	3,943	892	2,652
Loss from continuing operations	(41,755)	(63,238)	(34,657)	(148,140)
Gain upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock			74,110	0
Subtotal: accretion of Series A Preferred Stock and other redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	324	(84,060)	12,707	(192,141)
Net loss from continuing operations available to common stockholders for basic and diluted earnings per share	(41,431)	(147,298)	(21,950)	(340,281)
Adjusted for: accretion of Series A Preferred Stock			61,974	0
Adjusted for: gain upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock			(74,110)	0
Net income (loss) available to common stockholders	(41,431)	(147,298)	(34,086)	(340,281)
Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for discontinued operations:
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax	(34,466)	(36,309)	22,459	44,047
Loss on sales of discontinued operations, net of tax	(18,426)	0	311,904	0
(Income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(142)	1,588	(1,207)	(287)
Net income (loss) from discontinued operations for basic and diluted earnings per share, basic	(53,034)	(34,721)	333,156	43,760
Net income (loss) from discontinued operations for basic and diluted earnings per share, diluted	$ (53,034)	$ (34,721)	$ 333,156	$ 43,760
Denominator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share:
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	224,037	178,871	209,129	167,261
Basic and diluted loss per share:
Loss from continuing operations (in USD per share)	$ (0.18)	$ (0.82)
Loss from discontinued operations (in USD per share)	(0.24)	(0.20)
Basic and diluted loss per share (in USD per share)	$ (0.42)	$ (1.02)
Basic earnings (loss) per share:
Income (loss) from continuing operations (in USD per share)			$ (0.10)	$ (2.03)
Income from discontinued operations (in USD per share)			1.59	0.26
Basic earnings (loss) per share (in USD per share)			1.49	(1.77)
Diluted earnings (loss) per share:
Loss from continuing operations (in USD per share)			(0.16)	(2.03)
Income from discontinued operations (in USD per share)			1.59	0.26
Diluted earnings per share (in USD per share)			$ 1.43	$ (1.77)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity
Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for continuing operations:
Accretion of redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity	$ 324	$ (105)	$ 1,130	$ (635)
Accretion of Series A Preferred Stock			1,130
Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock
Numerator used in basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for continuing operations:
Adjusted for: accretion related to noncontrolling interests and equity redeemable at fair value			(559)	(6,357)
Accretion of Series A Preferred Stock	$ 0	$ (83,955)	$ (61,974)	$ (185,149)

Earnings (Loss) Per Share - Ant

Earnings (Loss) Per Share - Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share (Details) - shares shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Stock options
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share (in shares)	9,328	13,443	9,628	12,957
Restricted stock and RSUs
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share (in shares)	931	843	1,034	730

Related Party Transactions (Det

Related Party Transactions (Details) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payment of dividends on Series A Preferred Stock		$ 11,103	$ 5,252
Series A Preferred Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payment of dividends on Series A Preferred Stock		11,103	$ 5,175
Affiliated Entity | Series A Preferred Stock | KKR
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (in shares)	60
Affiliated Entity | Series A Preferred Stock | Snow Phipps
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (in shares)	15
Affiliated Entity | Series A Preferred Stock | KKR And Snow Phipps
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Preferred stock dividends declared and paid		$ 1,822

Fair Value Measurement - Summar

Fair Value Measurement - Summary of Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Assets
Derivative asset	$ 682	$ 48,186
Liabilities
Derivative liability	7,293	13,848
Level 3
Liabilities
Derivative liability	(6,611)
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Assets
Derivative asset	682	48,186
Liabilities
Derivative liability	7,293	13,848
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Level 1
Assets
Derivative asset	0	0
Liabilities
Derivative liability	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Level 2
Assets
Derivative asset	0	0
Liabilities
Derivative liability	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Level 3
Assets
Derivative asset	682	48,186
Liabilities
Derivative liability	$ 7,293	$ 13,848

Fair Value Measurement - Change

Fair Value Measurement - Change in Level 3 Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis (Details) - Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring - Level 3 $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
Balance at December 31, 2017	$ 34,338
(Loss) Gain included in earnings:
Unrealized losses, net	(37,611)
Realized gains, net	129,723
Included in other comprehensive income	11,776
Settlements	(3,520)
Reclassification upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock	(140,320)
Currency translation adjustment and other	(997)
Balance at September 30, 2018	(6,611)
Unrealized loss, net, relating to derivatives held at September 30, 2018	$ (37,611)

Fair Value Measurement - Quanti

Fair Value Measurement - Quantitative Information Related to Significant Unobservable Inputs Utilized to Calculate Fair Value (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)
Fair Value Inputs, Liabilities, Quantitative Information [Line Items] (Deprecated 2018-01-31)
Derivative liability	$ 7,293	$ 13,848
Level 3
Fair Value Inputs, Liabilities, Quantitative Information [Line Items] (Deprecated 2018-01-31)
Derivative liability	$ (6,611)
Credit Risk | Level 3 | Discounted Cash Flow
Fair Value Inputs, Liabilities, Quantitative Information [Line Items] (Deprecated 2018-01-31)
Range/Input Value	0.0339

Supplemental Cash Flow Inform_3

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 392,348	$ 320,567	$ 299,010
Restricted cash	196,790	212,215	187,260
Total Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows	$ 589,138	$ 532,782	$ 486,270	$ 474,337

Subsequent Events (Details)

Subsequent Events (Details) - Nov. 05, 2018 S/ in Thousands, $ in Thousands	USD ($)	PEN (S/)
Avansys | Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Consideration transferred in business combination	$ 18,500	S/ 60,150