| Schedule of selected quarterly income statement data | 
        
 
		
			                                                                                                                                                                                                                
		 
		
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Quarter Ended  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Dec. 31, 2013  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						March 31, 2014  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						June 30, 2014  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Sept. 30, 2014  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						(In thousands, except per share data) 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Revenue 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
406,592 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
439,015 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
419,899 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
435,406 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Gross profit 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
105,916 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
120,672 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
112,603 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
112,932 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Net income 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
33,355 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
41,461 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
34,428 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
36,152 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Net income attributable to MAXIMUS 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
33,859 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
41,207 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
34,138 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
36,236 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Basic earnings per share 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.50 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.61 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.50 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.54 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Diluted earnings per share 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.49 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.59 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.49 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.53 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
		  
		
			 
		 
		
			                                                                                                                                                                                                                
		 
		
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Quarter Ended  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Dec. 31, 2012  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						March 31, 2013  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						June 30, 2013  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Sept. 30, 2013  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						(In thousands, except per share data) 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Revenue 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
286,266 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
326,351 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
334,323 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
384,339 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Gross profit 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
76,530 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
97,444 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
94,560 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
117,499 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Net income 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
21,299 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
32,049 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
28,581 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
35,420 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Net income attributable to MAXIMUS 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
21,316 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
31,689 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
28,100 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
35,626 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Basic earnings per share 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.31 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.46 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.41 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.52 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Diluted earnings per share 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.31 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.45 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.40 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
0.51 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
		  
		
			 
		 
		  
	   
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