Segment Reporting (Details) $ in Thousands |
3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
May 31, 2016
USD ($)
|
May 31, 2015
USD ($)
|
May 31, 2016
USD ($)
|
May 31, 2015
USD ($)
|
Aug. 31, 2015
USD ($)
|
|
| Segment reporting [Line Items] | |||||
| Net revenue | $ 558,002 | $ 676,358 | $ 1,609,371 | $ 1,965,986 | |
| Operating income (loss) | 31,999 | 93,284 | (94,066) | 119,979 | |
| Interest income | 1,041 | 762 | 2,883 | 2,091 | |
| Interest expense | (1,569) | (1,715) | (4,997) | (5,116) | |
| Other loss, net | (273) | (2,038) | (2,229) | (4,480) | |
| Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes | 31,198 | 90,293 | (98,409) | 112,474 | |
| Goodwill impairments | 0 | 0 | 73,393 | 0 | |
| Total assets | 2,037,626 | 2,037,626 | $ 2,201,064 | ||
| Merger, acquisition and other related costs (credit), net | $ (8,317) | 455 | $ (25,188) | (4,506) | |
| University Of Phoenix [Member] | |||||
| Segment reporting [Line Items] | |||||
| Number of colleges | 9 | 9 | |||
| Net revenue | $ 424,479 | 560,692 | $ 1,252,052 | 1,641,314 | |
| Operating income (loss) | 59,681 | 103,395 | 33,099 | 216,776 | |
| Goodwill impairments | 71,812 | ||||
| Total assets | 596,440 | 596,440 | 648,755 | ||
| Apollo Global [Member] | |||||
| Segment reporting [Line Items] | |||||
| Net revenue | 125,007 | 109,622 | 334,135 | 305,862 | |
| Operating income (loss) | (459) | 5,465 | (29,677) | (26,918) | |
| Goodwill impairments | 0 | ||||
| Total assets | 714,248 | 714,248 | 588,434 | ||
| Merger, acquisition and other related costs (credit), net | (600) | 1,000 | (3,800) | (1,700) | |
| Other [Member] | |||||
| Segment reporting [Line Items] | |||||
| Net revenue | 8,516 | 6,044 | 23,184 | 18,810 | |
| Operating income (loss) | (27,223) | (15,576) | (97,488) | (69,879) | |
| Goodwill impairments | 1,581 | ||||
| Total assets | 726,938 | 726,938 | $ 963,875 | ||
| Merger, acquisition and other related costs (credit), net | $ (7,700) | $ (500) | $ (21,400) | $ (2,800) | |