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Business Segments (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 1 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2013
Jun. 30, 2013
Mar. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Segment
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Jun. 30, 2012
Jan. 31, 2015
school
Sep. 30, 2012
campus
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Number of reportable segments                 6us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments          
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use $ 13,600,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse                          
Prior periods adjustments           29,900,000ghc_ImmaterialErrorCorrectionAmount                
Foreign Revenues 925,343,000us-gaap_Revenues 898,871,000us-gaap_Revenues 874,411,000us-gaap_Revenues 836,541,000us-gaap_Revenues 867,242,000us-gaap_Revenues 856,101,000us-gaap_Revenues 867,152,000us-gaap_Revenues 817,416,000us-gaap_Revenues 3,535,166,000us-gaap_Revenues 3,407,911,000us-gaap_Revenues 3,372,586,000us-gaap_Revenues      
Education [Member]                            
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Number of campuses announced to close or consolidate 5ghc_NumberOfCampusesAnnouncedToCloseOrConsolidate
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
              5ghc_NumberOfCampusesAnnouncedToCloseOrConsolidate
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
        13ghc_NumberOfCampusesAnnouncedToCloseOrConsolidate
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
Accrued restructuring costs 12,700,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
      17,600,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
      12,700,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
17,600,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
       
Higher Education [Member]                            
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Restructuring costs                 6,500,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_HigherEducationMember
19,500,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_HigherEducationMember
23,400,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_HigherEducationMember
     
Kaplan International [Member]                            
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Restructuring costs                 200,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_KaplanInternationalMember
5,800,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_KaplanInternationalMember
16,400,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_KaplanInternationalMember
     
Kaplan International [Member] | Related to certain items recorded in 2011 and 2010 [Member]                            
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Prior periods adjustments                       3,900,000ghc_ImmaterialErrorCorrectionAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_KaplanInternationalMember
/ ghc_PriorPeriodAdjustmentsAxis
= ghc_RelatedToCertainItemsRecordedIn2011And2010Member
   
Kaplan International [Member] | Kaplan China [Member]                            
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Number of schools sold   3ghc_NumberOfSchoolsSold
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_KaplanChinaMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_KaplanInternationalMember
                       
Television Broadcasting [Member]                            
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Number of television broadcast stations owned 5ghc_NumberOfTelevisionBroadcastStationsOwned
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_TelevisionBroadcastingMember
              5ghc_NumberOfTelevisionBroadcastStationsOwned
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_TelevisionBroadcastingMember
         
Education [Member]                            
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Restructuring costs                 16,806,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
36,358,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
45,242,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
     
Non U.S. [Member]                            
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Foreign Revenues                 712,000,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= ghc_NonUSMember
658,000,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= ghc_NonUSMember
632,000,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= ghc_NonUSMember
     
Foreign assets 58,000,000ghc_EntityWideDisclosureOnGeographicAreasLongLivedAssetsExcludingGoodwillAndOtherIntangibleAssetsInForeignCountries
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= ghc_NonUSMember
      66,000,000ghc_EntityWideDisclosureOnGeographicAreasLongLivedAssetsExcludingGoodwillAndOtherIntangibleAssetsInForeignCountries
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= ghc_NonUSMember
      58,000,000ghc_EntityWideDisclosureOnGeographicAreasLongLivedAssetsExcludingGoodwillAndOtherIntangibleAssetsInForeignCountries
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= ghc_NonUSMember
66,000,000ghc_EntityWideDisclosureOnGeographicAreasLongLivedAssetsExcludingGoodwillAndOtherIntangibleAssetsInForeignCountries
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= ghc_NonUSMember
       
Operating Segments [Member] | Television Broadcasting [Member]                            
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Foreign Revenues                 363,836,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_TelevisionBroadcastingMember
308,306,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_TelevisionBroadcastingMember
328,396,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_TelevisionBroadcastingMember
     
Operating Segments [Member] | Education [Member]                            
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Foreign Revenues                 $ 2,160,417,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
$ 2,163,734,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
$ 2,184,532,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
     
Subsequent Event [Member] | Kaplan International [Member] | Kaplan China [Member]                            
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                            
Number of schools sold                         1ghc_NumberOfSchoolsSold
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_KaplanChinaMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_KaplanInternationalMember
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember