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Acquisitions, Dispositions and Exchanges (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
business
Dec. 31, 2013
business
Dec. 31, 2012
business
May 30, 2014
business
Jul. 03, 2014
business
Nov. 30, 2012
business
Apr. 01, 2014
business
Aug. 01, 2013
business
Jun. 30, 2013
Sep. 30, 2014
school
Jan. 31, 2015
school
Jun. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
Feb. 12, 2015
campus
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Cost of acquisition $ 210,200,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1 $ 23,800,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1 $ 55,600,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1                      
Number of businesses acquired 9us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired 6us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired 5us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired                      
Revenues of acquired companies since acquisition date 81,000,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationProFormaInformationRevenueOfAcquireeSinceAcquisitionDateActual                          
Operating loss of acquired companies since acquisition date (7,100,000)us-gaap_BusinessCombinationProFormaInformationEarningsOrLossOfAcquireeSinceAcquisitionDateActual                          
Gain on Berkshire exchange 266,733,000ghc_GainOnBerkshireExchange 0ghc_GainOnBerkshireExchange 0ghc_GainOnBerkshireExchange                      
Effective tax rate 30.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations                          
Residential Hospice Illinois [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Ownership percentage of investment in affiliate 42.50%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ghc_ResidentialHospiceIllinoisMember
      42.50%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ghc_ResidentialHospiceIllinoisMember
                 
Residential Home Health Illinois [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Ownership percentage of investment in affiliate 40.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ghc_ResidentialHomeHealthIllinoisMember
      40.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= ghc_ResidentialHomeHealthIllinoisMember
                 
Residential Healthcare Group Inc [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Percentage of interest acquired         80.00%us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPercentageOfVotingInterestsAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ghc_ResidentialHealthcareGroupIncMember
                 
Celtic Healthcare, Inc. [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Fair value of the noncontrolling interest           5,900,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionOfLessThan100PercentNoncontrollingInterestFairValue
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ghc_CelticHealthcareIncMember
               
Education [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of businesses acquired 3us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
1us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
3us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
                     
Higher Education [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of nationally accredited ground campuses                           38ghc_NumberOfNationallyAccreditedGroundCampuses
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_HigherEducationMember
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Television Broadcasting [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of businesses acquired 1us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_TelevisionBroadcastingMember
                         
Other Businesses [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of businesses acquired 2us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_OtherBusinessesMember
4us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_OtherBusinessesMember
1us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_OtherBusinessesMember
                     
Other Businesses [Member] | Joyce/Dayton Corp [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of businesses acquired       1us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ghc_JoyceDaytonCorpMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_OtherBusinessesMember
                   
Other Businesses [Member] | Residential Healthcare Group Inc [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of businesses acquired         1us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ghc_ResidentialHealthcareGroupIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_OtherBusinessesMember
                 
Other Businesses [Member] | Celtic Healthcare, Inc. [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of businesses acquired           1us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ghc_CelticHealthcareIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_OtherBusinessesMember
               
Other Businesses [Member] | VNA-TIP Healthcare [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of businesses acquired             1us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ghc_VNATIPHealthcareMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_OtherBusinessesMember
             
Other Businesses [Member] | Forney Corporation [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of businesses acquired               1us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ghc_ForneyCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_OtherBusinessesMember
           
Residential Healthcare Group Inc [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Fair value of the noncontrolling interest         17,100,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionOfLessThan100PercentNoncontrollingInterestFairValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_ResidentialHealthcareGroupIncMember
                 
Kaplan China [Member] | Education [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Noncontrolling interest purchased                 15.00%ghc_NoncontrollingInterestPurchased
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_KaplanChinaMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_EducationMember
         
Kaplan China [Member] | Kaplan International [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of schools sold                   3ghc_NumberOfSchoolsSold
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_KaplanChinaMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_KaplanInternationalMember
       
Kaplan China [Member] | Kaplan International [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of schools sold                     1ghc_NumberOfSchoolsSold
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_KaplanChinaMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_KaplanInternationalMember
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
     
Berkshire Exchange Transaction [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Amount of cash exchanged to Berkshire                       327,700,000ghc_AmountofCashExchangedtoBerkshire
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
327,700,000ghc_AmountofCashExchangedtoBerkshire
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
 
After-tax gain (loss) on sale and/or disposition                       375,000,000us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationGainLossOnDisposalOfDiscontinuedOperationNetOfTax
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
   
Treasury stock increase 1,165,400,000us-gaap_TreasuryStockValueAcquiredCostMethod
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
                    1,165,400,000us-gaap_TreasuryStockValueAcquiredCostMethod
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
   
Berkshire Exchange Transaction [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Gain on Berkshire exchange                         266,700,000ghc_GainOnBerkshireExchange
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_BerkshireHathawayIncMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
 
Berkshire Exchange Transaction [Member] | WPLG [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Estimated fair value of business exchanged                       438,000,000ghc_EstimatedFairValueofBusinessExchanged
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_WPLGMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
438,000,000ghc_EstimatedFairValueofBusinessExchanged
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_WPLGMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
 
Class A Common Stock [Member] | Berkshire Exchange Transaction [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of Berkshire shares exchanged                       2,107ghc_NumberofBerkshireSharesExchanged
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_BerkshireHathawayIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
2,107ghc_NumberofBerkshireSharesExchanged
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_BerkshireHathawayIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
 
Class B Common Stock [Member] | Berkshire Exchange Transaction [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of shares received in Berkshire Hathaway agreement 1,620,190ghc_NumberofSharesReceivedinBerkshireHathawayAgreement
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
                    1,620,190.00000ghc_NumberofSharesReceivedinBerkshireHathawayAgreement
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
1,620,190.00000ghc_NumberofSharesReceivedinBerkshireHathawayAgreement
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
 
Class B Common Stock [Member] | Berkshire Exchange Transaction [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Number of Berkshire shares exchanged                       1,278ghc_NumberofBerkshireSharesExchanged
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_BerkshireHathawayIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
1,278ghc_NumberofBerkshireSharesExchanged
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_BerkshireHathawayIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
 
Common Class A and B [Member] | Berkshire Exchange Transaction [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc [Member]                            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]                            
Fair value of available-for-sale equity securities exchanged                       $ 400,300,000ghc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesEquitySecuritiesExchangedFairValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_BerkshireHathawayIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= ghc_CommonClassAandBMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
$ 400,300,000ghc_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesEquitySecuritiesExchangedFairValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_BerkshireHathawayIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= ghc_CommonClassAandBMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember