Regulatory Capital - Well Capitalized Regulatory Requirements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Actual Amount
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$ 2,735,622	$ 2,350,081
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	2,735,622	2,350,081
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	3,032,522	2,597,926
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$ 2,735,622	$ 2,350,081
Actual Ratio
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	11.50%	11.90%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	11.50%	11.90%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	12.80%	13.10%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	11.10%	11.00%
Well Capitalized Regulatory Requirements, Amount
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	$ 1,541,678	$ 1,288,435
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	1,897,450	1,585,767
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	2,371,812	1,982,208
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	$ 1,233,163	$ 1,067,739
Well Capitalized Regulatory Requirements, Ratio
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	6.50%	6.50%
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	8.00%	8.00%
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)	10.00%	10.00%
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)	5.00%	5.00%

Common Equity Capital Required to Be Well Capitalized Percent

No definition available.

Name:	slm_CommonEquityCapitalRequiredtoBeWellCapitalizedPercent
Namespace Prefix:	slm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk Weighted Assets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	slm_CommonEquityTier1toRiskWeightedAssets
Namespace Prefix:	slm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

common equity capital required to be well capitalized

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	slm_Commonequitycapitalrequiredtobewellcapitalized
Namespace Prefix:	slm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

common equity tier 1 capital

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	slm_Commonequitytier1capital
Namespace Prefix:	slm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of total capital as defined in the regulations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 948
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6490092&loc=d3e47304-110998

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 505
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1H
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84167132&loc=d3e65071-112826

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 948
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6490092&loc=d3e47080-110998

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 505
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1H
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84167132&loc=d3e65071-112826

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Capital
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The amount of Total Capital required to be categorized as well as capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 505
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84167132&loc=SL5958568-112826

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalRequiredToBeWellCapitalized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The Total risk based capital ratio (total capital divided by risk weighted assets) required to be categorized as "well capitalized", in the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalRequiredToBeWellCapitalizedToRiskWeightedAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total Capital divided by risk weighted assets as defined in the regulations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 505
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84167132&loc=SL5958568-112826

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 505
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1H
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84167132&loc=d3e65071-112826

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalToRiskWeightedAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Tier 1 Leverage Capital as defined in the regulations. Also called Core Capital.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TierOneLeverageCapital
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The amount of Tier 1 Leverage Capital required to be categorized as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TierOneLeverageCapitalRequiredToBeWellCapitalized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of Tier 1 Leverage Capital required to be categorized as well capitalized divided by average assets as defined in the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TierOneLeverageCapitalRequiredToBeWellCapitalizedToAverageAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Tier 1 Leverage Capital divided by average assets as defined in the regulations.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TierOneLeverageCapitalToAverageAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Tier 1 Risk Based Capital as defined in the regulations.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TierOneRiskBasedCapital
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of Tier 1 Risk Based Capital required to be categorized as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TierOneRiskBasedCapitalRequiredToBeWellCapitalized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The Tier 1 capital ratio (Tier 1 capital divided by risk weighted assets) required to be categorized as "well capitalized" under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TierOneRiskBasedCapitalRequiredToBeWellCapitalizedToRiskWeightedAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Tier 1 capital divided by risk weighted assets as defined by regulations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 505
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1H
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84167132&loc=d3e65071-112826

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 505
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84167132&loc=SL5958568-112826

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TierOneRiskBasedCapitalToRiskWeightedAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant