Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities [Abstract]
Net income	$ 323	$ 329
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation	18	22
Amortization of intangibles	24	11
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	3	0
Deferred income taxes	(1)	61
Stock-based compensation	14	18
Other	31	33
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable	(7)	(69)
Prepaid and other current assets	(19)	(10)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(274)	(305)
Unearned revenue	39	48
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	(108)	(1,559)
Other current liabilities	22	(17)
Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes	99	88
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(31)	1
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations	133	(1,349)
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures	(16)	(16)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(7)	(2)
Changes in short-term investments	(1)	(1)
Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations	(24)	(19)
Financing Activities:
Additions to short-term debt, net	329	365
Dividends paid to shareholders	(96)	(94)
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests	(33)	(30)
Repurchase of treasury shares	(226)	(110)
Exercise of stock options	31	57
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	6	32
Intercompany financing activities	0	0
Cash provided by financing activities from continuing operations	11	220
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations	(1)	(44)
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations	119	(1,192)
Discontinued Operations:
Cash used for operating activities	0	(129)
Cash used for discontinued operations	0	(129)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	119	(1,321)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,481	2,497
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1,600	1,176
Eliminations
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities [Abstract]
Net income	(1,290)	(483)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation	0	0
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Other	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	0	0
Unearned revenue	0	0
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes	0	0
Net change in other assets and liabilities	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations	(1,290)	(483)
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Changes in short-term investments	0	0
Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations	0	0
Financing Activities:
Additions to short-term debt, net	0	0
Dividends paid to shareholders	0	0
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Repurchase of treasury shares	0	0
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	0	0
Intercompany financing activities	1,290	483
Cash provided by financing activities from continuing operations	1,290	483
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations		0
Discontinued Operations:
Cash used for operating activities		0
Cash used for discontinued operations		0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities [Abstract]
Net income	794	377
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation	9	10
Amortization of intangibles	0	1
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(1)	61
Stock-based compensation	4	5
Other	3	3
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable	(7)	11
Prepaid and other current assets	(2)	2
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(89)	(124)
Unearned revenue	15	3
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	0	0
Other current liabilities	(12)	5
Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes	98	(23)
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(17)	94
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations	795	425
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures	(4)	(7)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Changes in short-term investments	0	0
Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations	(4)	(7)
Financing Activities:
Additions to short-term debt, net	329	365
Dividends paid to shareholders	(96)	(94)
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Repurchase of treasury shares	(226)	(110)
Exercise of stock options	31	57
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	6	32
Intercompany financing activities	(838)	(1,983)
Cash provided by financing activities from continuing operations	(794)	(1,733)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations	7	(7)
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations		(1,322)
Discontinued Operations:
Cash used for operating activities		0
Cash used for discontinued operations		0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	4	(1,322)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	167	1,402
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	171	80
Standard & Poor's Financial Services, LLC
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities [Abstract]
Net income	185	269
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation	2	5
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	1	(3)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Stock-based compensation	3	5
Other	3	23
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable	153	(22)
Prepaid and other current assets	(3)	(6)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(89)	(68)
Unearned revenue	(374)	15
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	(108)	(1,559)
Other current liabilities	(19)	(18)
Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes	0	0
Net change in other assets and liabilities	30	10
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations	(216)	(1,349)
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures	(4)	(2)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Changes in short-term investments	0	0
Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations	(4)	(2)
Financing Activities:
Additions to short-term debt, net	0	0
Dividends paid to shareholders	0	0
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Repurchase of treasury shares	0	0
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	0	0
Intercompany financing activities	220	1,351
Cash provided by financing activities from continuing operations	220	1,351
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations	0	0
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations		0
Discontinued Operations:
Cash used for operating activities		0
Cash used for discontinued operations		0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities [Abstract]
Net income	634	166
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation	7	7
Amortization of intangibles	24	10
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	2	3
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Stock-based compensation	7	8
Other	25	7
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable	(153)	(58)
Prepaid and other current assets	(14)	(6)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(96)	(113)
Unearned revenue	398	30
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	0	0
Other current liabilities	53	(4)
Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes	1	111
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(44)	(103)
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations	844	58
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures	(8)	(7)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(7)	(2)
Changes in short-term investments	(1)	(1)
Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations	(16)	(10)
Financing Activities:
Additions to short-term debt, net	0	0
Dividends paid to shareholders	0	0
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests	(33)	(30)
Repurchase of treasury shares	0	0
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments	0	0
Intercompany financing activities	(672)	149
Cash provided by financing activities from continuing operations	(705)	119
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations	(8)	(37)
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations		130
Discontinued Operations:
Cash used for operating activities		(129)
Cash used for discontinued operations		(129)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	115	1
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,314	1,095
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 1,429	$ 1,096