Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 1,374	$ 1,324	$ 1,342	$ 1,273	$ 1,290	$ 1,263	$ 1,302	$ 1,196	$ 5,313	$ 5,051	$ 4,702
Expenses:
Operating-related expenses									1,672	1,627	1,564
Selling and general expenses									1,578	3,168	1,631
Depreciation									90	86	86
Amortization of intangibles									67	48	51
Total expenses									3,407	4,929	3,332
Other income									(11)	9	12
Operating profit	424	410	582	501	(1,148)	366	476	420	1,917	113	1,358
Interest expense (income), net									102	59	59
Non-operating intercompany transactions									0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income									1,815	54	1,299
(Benefit) provision for taxes on income									547	245	425
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations	276	281	381	329	(984)	215	310	268	1,268	(191)	874
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Income from discontinued operations									0	18	3
Gain on sale of discontinued operations									0	160	589
Discontinued operations, net					163	2	6	7	0	178	592
Net income (loss)	276	281	381	329	(821)	217	316	275	1,268	(13)	1,466
Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests									(112)	(102)	(91)
Less: net loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	1
Net income (loss) attributable to McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.	$ 248	$ 252	$ 353	$ 303	$ (846)	$ 190	$ 292	$ 248	1,156	(115)	1,376
Comprehensive income (loss)									1,182	(331)	1,788
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									(115)	(115)	(105)
Expenses:
Operating-related expenses									(115)	(115)	(105)
Selling and general expenses									0	0	0
Depreciation									0	0	0
Amortization of intangibles									0	0	0
Total expenses									(115)	(115)	(105)
Other income									0	0	0
Operating profit									0	0	0
Interest expense (income), net									0	0	0
Non-operating intercompany transactions									0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income									0	0	0
(Benefit) provision for taxes on income									0	0	0
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									(1,745)	195	(2,134)
Income (loss) from continuing operations									(1,745)	195	(2,134)
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Income from discontinued operations										0	0
Gain on sale of discontinued operations										0	0
Discontinued operations, net										0	0
Net income (loss)									(1,745)	195	(2,134)
Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests									(112)	(102)	(91)
Less: net loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests											1
Net income (loss) attributable to McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.									(1,857)	93	(2,224)
Comprehensive income (loss)									(1,741)	195	(2,106)
McGraw Hill Financial, Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									624	598	570
Expenses:
Operating-related expenses									73	78	128
Selling and general expenses									248	296	338
Depreciation									40	41	40
Amortization of intangibles									0	4	5
Total expenses									361	419	511
Other income									0	3	25
Operating profit									263	176	34
Interest expense (income), net									112	66	65
Non-operating intercompany transactions									282	193	245
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income									(131)	(83)	(276)
(Benefit) provision for taxes on income									(107)	(22)	(121)
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									1,473	(443)	1,937
Income (loss) from continuing operations									1,449	(504)	1,782
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Income from discontinued operations										18	82
Gain on sale of discontinued operations										160	644
Discontinued operations, net										178	726
Net income (loss)									1,449	(326)	2,508
Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Less: net loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests											0
Net income (loss) attributable to McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.									1,449	(326)	2,508
Comprehensive income (loss)									1,446	(495)	2,773
Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									2,141	2,043	1,931
Expenses:
Operating-related expenses									522	389	556
Selling and general expenses									469	2,350	532
Depreciation									18	17	19
Amortization of intangibles									0	0	0
Total expenses									1,009	2,756	1,107
Other income									0	0	3
Operating profit									1,132	(713)	821
Interest expense (income), net									0	0	0
Non-operating intercompany transactions									222	38	66
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income									910	(751)	755
(Benefit) provision for taxes on income									358	16	283
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									272	248	197
Income (loss) from continuing operations									824	(519)	669
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Income from discontinued operations										0	0
Gain on sale of discontinued operations										0	0
Discontinued operations, net										0	0
Net income (loss)									824	(519)	669
Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Less: net loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests											0
Net income (loss) attributable to McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.									824	(519)	669
Comprehensive income (loss)									822	(544)	669
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									2,663	2,525	2,306
Expenses:
Operating-related expenses									1,192	1,275	985
Selling and general expenses									861	522	761
Depreciation									32	28	27
Amortization of intangibles									67	44	46
Total expenses									2,152	1,869	1,819
Other income									(11)	6	(16)
Operating profit									522	650	503
Interest expense (income), net									(10)	(7)	(6)
Non-operating intercompany transactions									(504)	(231)	(311)
Income from continuing operations before taxes on income									1,036	888	820
(Benefit) provision for taxes on income									296	251	263
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations									740	637	557
Discontinued operations, net of tax:
Income from discontinued operations										0	(79)
Gain on sale of discontinued operations										0	(55)
Discontinued operations, net										0	(134)
Net income (loss)									740	637	423
Less: net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Less: net loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests											0
Net income (loss) attributable to McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.									740	637	423
Comprehensive income (loss)									$ 655	$ 513	$ 452