Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,481	$ 2,497	$ 1,542	$ 760
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	991	932
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Deferred income taxes	109	360
Prepaid and other current assets	212	173
Assets of a business held for sale	503	0
Total current assets	3,296	3,962
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	270	206
Goodwill	2,882	1,387	1,409
Other intangible assets, net	1,522	1,004
Asset for pension benefits	36	28
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Other non-current assets	177	186
Total assets	8,183	6,773
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	206	191
Intercompany payable	0	0
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	383	410
Short-term debt	143	0
Income taxes currently payable	56	54
Unearned revenue	1,421	1,254
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	121	1,609
Other current liabilities	372	402
Liabilities of a business held for sale	206	0
Total current liabilities	2,908	3,920
Long-term debt	3,468	795
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Pension and other postretirement benefits	276	333
Deferred income taxes	23	40
Other non-current liabilities	345	336
Total liabilities	7,020	5,424
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	920	810
Equity:
Common stock	412	412
Additional paid-in capital	475	493
Retained income	7,636	6,946
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(600)	(514)
Less: common stock in treasury	(7,729)	(6,849)
Total equity – controlling interests	194	488
Total equity – noncontrolling interests	49	51
Total equity	243	539	1,344	840
Total liabilities and equity	8,183	6,773
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Intercompany receivable	(3,353)	(4,648)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	(1)	0
Assets of a business held for sale	0
Total current assets	(3,354)	(4,648)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0	0
Goodwill	9	9
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Asset for pension benefits	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(12,626)	(9,036)
Intercompany loans receivable	(2,117)	(1,972)
Other non-current assets	0	0
Total assets	(18,088)	(15,647)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	(3,354)	(4,559)
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	0	0
Short-term debt	0
Income taxes currently payable	0	0
Unearned revenue	(1)	0
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Liabilities of a business held for sale	0
Total current liabilities	(3,355)	(4,559)
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(2,117)	(2,061)
Pension and other postretirement benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other non-current liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(5,472)	(6,620)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	920	810
Equity:
Common stock	(2,337)	(2,316)
Additional paid-in capital	(10,694)	(7,560)
Retained income	(609)	(60)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	44	41
Less: common stock in treasury	12	7
Total equity – controlling interests	(13,584)	(9,888)
Total equity – noncontrolling interests	48	51
Total equity	(13,536)	(9,837)
Total liabilities and equity	(18,088)	(15,647)
McGraw Hill Financial, Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	167	1,402	685	119
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	116	120
Intercompany receivable	208	525
Deferred income taxes	75	60
Prepaid and other current assets	120	79
Assets of a business held for sale	4
Total current assets	690	2,186
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	141	111
Goodwill	17	109
Other intangible assets, net	0	13
Asset for pension benefits	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	4,651	1,258
Intercompany loans receivable	16	20
Other non-current assets	67	71
Total assets	5,582	3,768
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	71	59
Intercompany payable	2,144	2,566
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	127	133
Short-term debt	143
Income taxes currently payable	1	19
Unearned revenue	254	259
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	0	0
Other current liabilities	190	194
Liabilities of a business held for sale	80
Total current liabilities	3,010	3,230
Long-term debt	3,468	795
Intercompany loans payable	21	109
Pension and other postretirement benefits	230	272
Deferred income taxes	(246)	(260)
Other non-current liabilities	221	219
Total liabilities	6,704	4,365
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Equity:
Common stock	412	412
Additional paid-in capital	(184)	(116)
Retained income	6,701	6,275
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(322)	(319)
Less: common stock in treasury	(7,729)	(6,849)
Total equity – controlling interests	(1,122)	(597)
Total equity – noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(1,122)	(597)
Total liabilities and equity	5,582	3,768
Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	319	293
Intercompany receivable	1,872	2,125
Deferred income taxes	10	334
Prepaid and other current assets	13	27
Assets of a business held for sale	0
Total current assets	2,214	2,779
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	3	5
Goodwill	40	41
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Asset for pension benefits	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	659	653
Intercompany loans receivable	368	358
Other non-current assets	19	25
Total assets	3,303	3,861
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	54	45
Intercompany payable	675	617
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	89	121
Short-term debt	0
Income taxes currently payable	0	1
Unearned revenue	586	520
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	115	1,609
Other current liabilities	(50)	0
Liabilities of a business held for sale	0
Total current liabilities	1,469	2,913
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Pension and other postretirement benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes	17	51
Other non-current liabilities	81	73
Total liabilities	1,567	3,037
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Equity:
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	1,179	1,153
Retained income	557	(329)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Less: common stock in treasury	0	0
Total equity – controlling interests	1,736	824
Total equity – noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,736	824
Total liabilities and equity	3,303	3,861
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,314	1,095	$ 857	$ 641
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	556	519
Intercompany receivable	1,273	1,998
Deferred income taxes	24	(34)
Prepaid and other current assets	80	67
Assets of a business held for sale	499
Total current assets	3,746	3,645
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	126	90
Goodwill	2,816	1,228
Other intangible assets, net	1,522	991
Asset for pension benefits	36	28
Investments in subsidiaries	7,316	7,125
Intercompany loans receivable	1,733	1,594
Other non-current assets	91	90
Total assets	17,386	14,791
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	81	87
Intercompany payable	535	1,376
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	167	156
Short-term debt	0
Income taxes currently payable	55	34
Unearned revenue	582	475
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	6	0
Other current liabilities	232	208
Liabilities of a business held for sale	126
Total current liabilities	1,784	2,336
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	2,096	1,952
Pension and other postretirement benefits	46	61
Deferred income taxes	252	249
Other non-current liabilities	43	44
Total liabilities	4,221	4,642
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Equity:
Common stock	2,337	2,316
Additional paid-in capital	10,174	7,016
Retained income	987	1,060
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(322)	(236)
Less: common stock in treasury	(12)	(7)
Total equity – controlling interests	13,164	10,149
Total equity – noncontrolling interests	1	0
Total equity	13,165	10,149
Total liabilities and equity	$ 17,386	$ 14,791