Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets, Current [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,441,000,000		$ 2,497,000,000	$ 1,918,000,000	$ 1,542,000,000
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	986,000,000		932,000,000
Intercompany receivable	0		0
Deferred income taxes	203,000,000		363,000,000
Prepaid and other current assets	206,000,000		174,000,000
Total current assets	2,836,000,000		3,966,000,000
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	237,000,000		206,000,000
Goodwill	2,968,000,000		1,387,000,000
Other intangible assets, net	1,881,000,000		1,004,000,000
Asset for pension benefits	61,000,000		28,000,000
Investments in subsidiaries	0		0
Intercompany loans receivable	0		0
Other non-current assets	180,000,000		180,000,000
Total assets	8,163,000,000		6,771,000,000
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	211,000,000	$ 211,000,000	191,000,000
Intercompany payable		0	0
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	320,000,000	320,000,000	410,000,000
Income taxes currently payable		59,000,000	32,000,000
Unearned revenue	1,453,000,000	1,453,000,000	1,323,000,000
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements (Note 11)	104,000,000	104,000,000	1,609,000,000
Other current liabilities		358,000,000	402,000,000
Total current liabilities	2,505,000,000	2,505,000,000	3,967,000,000
Long-term debt	3,489,000,000	3,489,000,000	799,000,000
Intercompany loans payable		0	0
Pension and other postretirement benefits	278,000,000	278,000,000	333,000,000
Deferred income taxes		90,000,000	56,000,000
Other non-current liabilities		287,000,000	267,000,000
Total liabilities	6,649,000,000	6,649,000,000	5,422,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (Note 7)	810,000,000	810,000,000	810,000,000
Equity:
Common stock	412,000,000	412,000,000	412,000,000
Additional paid-in capital	441,000,000	441,000,000	493,000,000
Retained income	7,592,000,000	7,592,000,000	6,946,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(553,000,000)	(553,000,000)	(514,000,000)
Less: common stock in treasury	(7,234,000,000)	(7,234,000,000)	(6,849,000,000)
Total equity — controlling interests	658,000,000	658,000,000	488,000,000
Total equity - noncontrolling interests	46,000,000	46,000,000	51,000,000
Total equity	704,000,000	704,000,000	539,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	8,163,000,000	8,163,000,000	6,771,000,000
Eliminations
Assets, Current [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	0		0
Intercompany receivable	(2,917,000,000)		(4,648,000,000)
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Prepaid and other current assets	0		0
Total current assets	(2,917,000,000)		(4,648,000,000)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0		0
Goodwill	9,000,000		9,000,000
Other intangible assets, net	(6,000,000)		0
Asset for pension benefits	0		0
Investments in subsidiaries	(12,498,000,000)		(9,036,000,000)
Intercompany loans receivable	(2,195,000,000)		(1,972,000,000)
Other non-current assets	0		0
Total assets	(17,607,000,000)		(15,647,000,000)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		0	0
Intercompany payable		(2,832,000,000)	(4,559,000,000)
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans		0	0
Income taxes currently payable		0	0
Unearned revenue		0	0
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements (Note 11)		0	0
Other current liabilities		0	0
Total current liabilities		(2,832,000,000)	(4,559,000,000)
Long-term debt		0	0
Intercompany loans payable		(2,283,000,000)	(2,061,000,000)
Pension and other postretirement benefits		0	0
Deferred income taxes		0	0
Other non-current liabilities		(1,000,000)	0
Total liabilities		(5,116,000,000)	(6,620,000,000)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (Note 7)		810,000,000	810,000,000
Equity:
Common stock		(2,321,000,000)	(2,316,000,000)
Additional paid-in capital		(10,689,000,000)	(7,560,000,000)
Retained income		(393,000,000)	(60,000,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		36,000,000	41,000,000
Less: common stock in treasury		20,000,000	7,000,000
Total equity — controlling interests		(13,347,000,000)	(9,888,000,000)
Total equity - noncontrolling interests		46,000,000	51,000,000
Total equity		(13,301,000,000)	(9,837,000,000)
Total liabilities and equity		(17,607,000,000)	(15,647,000,000)
McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.
Assets, Current [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	161,000,000		1,402,000,000	946,000,000	685,000,000
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	109,000,000		120,000,000
Intercompany receivable	313,000,000		525,000,000
Deferred income taxes	72,000,000		72,000,000
Prepaid and other current assets	93,000,000		80,000,000
Total current assets	748,000,000		2,199,000,000
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	124,000,000		111,000,000
Goodwill	15,000,000		109,000,000
Other intangible assets, net	0		13,000,000
Asset for pension benefits	0		0
Investments in subsidiaries	4,547,000,000		1,258,000,000
Intercompany loans receivable	17,000,000		19,000,000
Other non-current assets	69,000,000		81,000,000
Total assets	5,520,000,000		3,790,000,000
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		69,000,000	59,000,000
Intercompany payable		1,671,000,000	2,566,000,000
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans		108,000,000	133,000,000
Income taxes currently payable		16,000,000	15,000,000
Unearned revenue		269,000,000	259,000,000
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements (Note 11)		0	0
Other current liabilities		267,000,000	194,000,000
Total current liabilities		2,400,000,000	3,226,000,000
Long-term debt		3,489,000,000	799,000,000
Intercompany loans payable		108,000,000	109,000,000
Pension and other postretirement benefits		218,000,000	272,000,000
Deferred income taxes		(224,000,000)	(245,000,000)
Other non-current liabilities		217,000,000	219,000,000
Total liabilities		6,208,000,000	4,380,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (Note 7)		0	0
Equity:
Common stock		412,000,000	412,000,000
Additional paid-in capital		(197,000,000)	(116,000,000)
Retained income		6,641,000,000	6,282,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(310,000,000)	(319,000,000)
Less: common stock in treasury		(7,234,000,000)	(6,849,000,000)
Total equity — controlling interests		(688,000,000)	(590,000,000)
Total equity - noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total equity		(688,000,000)	(590,000,000)
Total liabilities and equity		5,520,000,000	3,790,000,000
Standard & Poor's Financial Services, LLC
Assets, Current [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,000,000		0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	282,000,000		293,000,000
Intercompany receivable	1,480,000,000		2,125,000,000
Deferred income taxes	172,000,000		334,000,000
Prepaid and other current assets	4,000,000		27,000,000
Total current assets	1,939,000,000		2,779,000,000
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	3,000,000		5,000,000
Goodwill	41,000,000		41,000,000
Other intangible assets, net	0		0
Asset for pension benefits	0		0
Investments in subsidiaries	671,000,000		653,000,000
Intercompany loans receivable	361,000,000		358,000,000
Other non-current assets	19,000,000		25,000,000
Total assets	3,034,000,000		3,861,000,000
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		42,000,000	45,000,000
Intercompany payable		593,000,000	617,000,000
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans		73,000,000	121,000,000
Income taxes currently payable		0	1,000,000
Unearned revenue		565,000,000	585,000,000
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements (Note 11)		104,000,000	1,609,000,000
Other current liabilities		(134,000,000)	0
Total current liabilities		1,243,000,000	2,978,000,000
Long-term debt		0	0
Intercompany loans payable		(3,000,000)	0
Pension and other postretirement benefits		0	0
Deferred income taxes		51,000,000	51,000,000
Other non-current liabilities		12,000,000	8,000,000
Total liabilities		1,303,000,000	3,037,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (Note 7)		0	0
Equity:
Common stock		0	0
Additional paid-in capital		1,171,000,000	1,153,000,000
Retained income		560,000,000	(329,000,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		0	0
Less: common stock in treasury		0	0
Total equity — controlling interests		1,731,000,000	824,000,000
Total equity - noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total equity		1,731,000,000	824,000,000
Total liabilities and equity		3,034,000,000	3,861,000,000
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets, Current [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,279,000,000		1,095,000,000	$ 972,000,000	$ 857,000,000
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	595,000,000		519,000,000
Intercompany receivable	1,124,000,000		1,998,000,000
Deferred income taxes	(41,000,000)		(43,000,000)
Prepaid and other current assets	109,000,000		67,000,000
Total current assets	3,066,000,000		3,636,000,000
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	110,000,000		90,000,000
Goodwill	2,903,000,000		1,228,000,000
Other intangible assets, net	1,887,000,000		991,000,000
Asset for pension benefits	61,000,000		28,000,000
Investments in subsidiaries	7,280,000,000		7,125,000,000
Intercompany loans receivable	1,817,000,000		1,595,000,000
Other non-current assets	92,000,000		74,000,000
Total assets	$ 17,216,000,000		14,767,000,000
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		100,000,000	87,000,000
Intercompany payable		568,000,000	1,376,000,000
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans		139,000,000	156,000,000
Income taxes currently payable		43,000,000	16,000,000
Unearned revenue		619,000,000	479,000,000
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements (Note 11)		0	0
Other current liabilities		225,000,000	208,000,000
Total current liabilities		1,694,000,000	2,322,000,000
Long-term debt		0	0
Intercompany loans payable		2,178,000,000	1,952,000,000
Pension and other postretirement benefits		60,000,000	61,000,000
Deferred income taxes		263,000,000	250,000,000
Other non-current liabilities		59,000,000	40,000,000
Total liabilities		4,254,000,000	4,625,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (Note 7)		0	0
Equity:
Common stock		2,321,000,000	2,316,000,000
Additional paid-in capital		10,156,000,000	7,016,000,000
Retained income		784,000,000	1,053,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(279,000,000)	(236,000,000)
Less: common stock in treasury		(20,000,000)	(7,000,000)
Total equity — controlling interests		12,962,000,000	10,142,000,000
Total equity - noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total equity		12,962,000,000	10,142,000,000
Total liabilities and equity		$ 17,216,000,000	$ 14,767,000,000