<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<FilingSummary>
  <Version>3.22.2</Version>
  <ProcessingTime/>
  <ReportFormat>html</ReportFormat>
  <ContextCount>3</ContextCount>
  <ElementCount>37</ElementCount>
  <EntityCount>1</EntityCount>
  <FootnotesReported>false</FootnotesReported>
  <SegmentCount>0</SegmentCount>
  <ScenarioCount>0</ScenarioCount>
  <TuplesReported>false</TuplesReported>
  <UnitCount>2</UnitCount>
  <MyReports>
    <Report instance="apei-20211231.htm">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R1.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>0001001 - Document - Cover Page</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.americanpubliceducation.com/role/CoverPage</Role>
      <ShortName>Cover Page</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Cover</MenuCategory>
      <Position>1</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="apei-20211231.htm">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R2.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>0002002 - Document - Audit Information</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.americanpubliceducation.com/role/AuditInformation</Role>
      <ShortName>Audit Information</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Cover</MenuCategory>
      <Position>2</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <LongName>All Reports</LongName>
      <ReportType>Book</ReportType>
      <ShortName>All Reports</ShortName>
    </Report>
  </MyReports>
  <InputFiles>
    <File doctype="10-K/A" original="apei-20211231.htm">apei-20211231.htm</File>
    <File>apei-20211231.xsd</File>
    <File>apei-20211231_lab.xml</File>
    <File>apei-20211231_pre.xml</File>
    <File>exhibit311.htm</File>
    <File>exhibit312.htm</File>
    <File>exhibit321.htm</File>
    <File>exhibit322.htm</File>
  </InputFiles>
  <SupplementalFiles>
    <File>apei-20211231_g1.jpg</File>
  </SupplementalFiles>
  <BaseTaxonomies>
    <BaseTaxonomy items="37">http://xbrl.sec.gov/dei/2021q4</BaseTaxonomy>
  </BaseTaxonomies>
  <HasPresentationLinkbase>true</HasPresentationLinkbase>
  <HasCalculationLinkbase>false</HasCalculationLinkbase>
</FilingSummary>
