497

Law Offices

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

1250 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20036

202.822.9611

Direct Dial - (202) 419-8416

1933 Act Rule 497(e)

1933 Act File No. 333-40455

1940 Act File No. 811-08495

December 5, 2012

VIA EDGAR

Filing Desk

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

100 F Street, NE

Washington, DC 20549

Re: Nationwide Mutual Funds (the “Registrant”) SEC File Nos. 333-40455 and 811-08495 Rule 497(e) filing

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Enclosed for filing pursuant to Rule 497(e) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “1933 Act”) are exhibits containing interactive data format risk/return summary information that reflects the risk/return summary information in the Prospectus dated July 6, 2012, and revised as of November 19, 2012, relating to the Nationwide Global Equity Fund and Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund, series of the Registrant, as filed pursuant to Rule 497(e) under the 1933 Act on November 19, 2012 (Accession Number: 0001193125-12-475674).

Please direct questions or comments relating to this filing to me at the above-referenced telephone number.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Peter M. Hong

Peter M. Hong

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NATIONWIDE MUTUAL FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jul. 06, 2012
Nationwide Global Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	FUND SUMMARY: NATIONWIDE GLOBAL EQUITY FUND
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The Fund seeks to maximize total return, consisting of capital appreciation and current income.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay when buying and holding shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Nationwide Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Investing with Nationwide Funds” commencing on page 17 of this Prospectus and in “Additional Information on Purchases and Sales” commencing on page 61 of the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	February 28, 2014
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year of the predecessor fund (June 30, 2012), the portfolio turnover rate was 77% of the average value of its portfolio. See the section entitled “Performance” for more information about the predecessor fund.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	77.00%
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Nationwide Funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	50,000
Other Expenses, New Fund, Based on Estimates [Text]	rr_OtherExpensesNewFundBasedOnEstimates	“Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	This Example is intended to help you to compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return each year and no change in expenses. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption	You would pay the following expenses on the same investment if you did not sell your shares:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any) in equity securities. Investments in equity securities may include, but are not limited to, dividend paying securities, common stock and preferred stock of U.S. and foreign issuers, although the Fund is not limited to purchasing dividend-paying securities only, and may invest in stocks that provide little to no dividend income, but which offer the potential for capital growth. The Fund purchases stocks of U.S. and foreign companies of any size, including small-cap and mid-cap companies and which are located in either developed countries or emerging market countries. The Fund may also invest in currency futures and forward foreign currency exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in order to hedge against international currency exposure. In addition, these derivatives may be used for investment (non-hedging) purposes to earn income, to enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to certain markets, or to establish net short positions for individual currencies. The Fund’s subadviser, on behalf of the Fund, intends to diversify broadly among countries, but reserves the right to invest a substantial portion of the Fund’s assets in one or more countries if economic and business conditions warrant such investments. The Fund invests its assets in investments that are tied economically to a number of countries throughout the world, including the United States. In the global universe, the subadviser uses a disciplined price-to-intrinsic value approach that seeks to take advantage of pricing anomalies in markets. In selecting securities, the subadviser focuses on, among other things, identifying discrepancies between a security’s fundamental value and its market price. The Fund generally considers selling a security when it reaches a target price, fails to perform as expected, or when other opportunities appear more attractive.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. As with any fund, the value of the Fund’s investments—and therefore, the value of Fund shares—may fluctuate. These changes may occur because of: Stock market risk – the Fund could lose value if the individual stocks in which it invests or overall stock markets in which such stocks trade go down. Foreign securities risk – foreign securities may be more volatile, harder to price and less liquid than U.S. securities. The prices of foreign securities may be further affected by other factors, such as changes in the exchange rates between the dollar and the currencies in which the securities are traded. Emerging markets risk – a magnification of the risks that apply to all foreign investments. These risks are greater for securities of companies in emerging market countries because the countries may have less stable governments, more volatile currencies and less established markets. Country risk – if the Fund emphasizes one or more countries, it may be more susceptible to the financial, market, political or economic events affecting the particular issuers and industries participating in such countries than funds that do not emphasize particular countries. Preferred stock risk – a preferred stock may decline in price, or fail to pay dividends when expected, because the issuer experiences a decline in its financial status. Preferred stocks often behave like debt securities, but have a lower payment priority than the issuer’s bonds or other debt securities. Therefore, they may be subject to greater credit risk than those of debt securities. Preferred stocks also may be significantly less liquid than many other securities, such as corporate debt or common stock. Smaller company risk – smaller companies are usually less stable in price and less liquid than are larger, more established companies. Smaller companies are more vulnerable than larger companies to adverse business and economic developments and may have more limited resources. Therefore, they generally involve greater risk. Derivatives risk – the Fund's investments in currency futures and forward foreign currency exchange contracts (collectively, "currency contracts") may involve a small investment relative to the amount of risk assumed. To the extent the Fund enters into these transactions, its success will depend on the subadviser's ability to predict market movements, and their use may have the opposite effect of that intended. Risks include potential loss due to the imposition of controls by a government on the exchange of foreign currencies, the loss of any premium paid to enter into the transaction, delivery failure, default by the other party, or inability to close out a position because the trading market becomes illiquid. Derivatives may involve leverage, which means that their use can significantly magnify the effect of price movements of the underlying currency or reference measures, disproportionately increasing the Fund's losses and reducing the Fund's opportunities for gains. Some derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, including a loss that may be greater than the amount invested. Currency contracts may reduce the risk of loss from a change in the value of a currency, but they also limit any potential gains and do not protect against fluctuations in the value of the underlying stock. In addition to these risks, the Fund's portfolio managers may select securities that underperform the stock market, the Fund's benchmark or other mutual funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. If the value of the Fund's investments goes down, you may lose money.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	If the value of the Fund's investments goes down, you may lose money.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The returns presented for the Fund reflect the performance of the UBS Global Equity Fund, a former series of The UBS Funds (the "Predecessor Fund"). The Fund has adopted the performance of the Predecessor Fund as the result of a reorganization in which the Fund acquired all of the assets, subject to the liabilities, of the Predecessor Fund. The Fund and the Predecessor Fund have substantially similar investment goals and strategies. The following bar chart and table can help you evaluate the Fund's potential risks. The bar chart shows how the Predecessor Fund's annual total returns have varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect the impact of sales charges. If the applicable sales charges were included, the annual total returns would be lower than those shown. The table compares the Predecessor Fund's average annual total returns to the returns of a broad-based securities index. Remember, however, that past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.nationwide.com/mutualfunds or by calling 800-848-0920.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart shows how the Predecessor Fund's annual total returns have varied from year to year.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	800-848-0920
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.nationwide.com/mutualfunds
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	Remember, however, that past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Annual Total Returns – Institutional Class Shares (Years Ended December 31,)
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These returns do not reflect the impact of sales charges. If the applicable sales charges were included, the annual total returns would be lower than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Total return January 1 – September 30, 2012:         12.91% Best quarter during calendar years shown – 2Q 2009:         26.01% Worst quarter during calendar years shown – 4Q 2008:         -22.99%
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns For the Periods Ended December 31, 2011
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	After-tax returns are not relevant to investors in tax-deferred arrangements, such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans or certain other employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	After-tax returns are shown in the table for Institutional Class shares only and will vary for other classes.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	After-tax returns are shown in the table for Institutional Class shares only and will vary for other classes. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax return depends on your personal tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors in tax-deferred arrangements, such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans or certain other employer-sponsored retirement plans. Institutional Service Class shares have not completed a year of performance as of the date of this Prospectus. Pre-inception historical performance for Institutional Service Class shares is based on the previous performance of Institutional Class shares.
Nationwide Global Equity Fund | Class A shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	5.75%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering or sale price, whichever is less)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.41%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.41%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.11%)	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Waivers/Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.30%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	700
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	985
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(17.17%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	(4.17%)
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.32%
Nationwide Global Equity Fund | Class C shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering or sale price, whichever is less)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice	1.00%
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.31%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	2.06%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.11%)	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Waivers/Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.95%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	298
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	635
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	198
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	635
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(13.61%)	[3]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	(3.76%)	[3]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.15%	[3]
Nationwide Global Equity Fund | Institutional Class shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering or sale price, whichever is less)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.31%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.06%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.11%)	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Waivers/Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.95%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	97
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	326
2002	rr_AnnualReturn2002	(15.54%)
2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	29.57%
2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	14.26%
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	7.15%
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	17.76%
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	3.71%
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(40.69%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	45.37%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	10.61%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	(11.84%)
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Total return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2012
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	12.91%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	26.01%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(22.99%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(11.84%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	(2.70%)
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.24%
Nationwide Global Equity Fund | Institutional Service Class shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering or sale price, whichever is less)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.56%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.31%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.11%)	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Waivers/Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.20%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	122
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	404
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(11.84%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	(2.70%)
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.24%
Nationwide Global Equity Fund | After Taxes on Distributions | Institutional Class shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(11.72%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	(3.22%)
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.81%
Nationwide Global Equity Fund | After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Shares | Institutional Class shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(7.42%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	(2.46%)
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.63%
Nationwide Global Equity Fund | MSCI World Free Index (The Index does not pay sales charges, fees or expenses.)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(5.54%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	(2.37%)
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.62%

[1] "Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

[2] Nationwide Mutual Funds (the "Trust") and Nationwide Fund Advisors (the "Adviser") have entered into a written contract limiting operating expenses to 0.95% until at least February 28, 2014. Under the expense limitation agreement, the level to which operating expenses are limited applies to all share classes, excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, Rule 12b-1 fees, short-sale dividend expenses, administrative services fees, other expenses which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with any merger or reorganization, and may exclude other non-routine expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business. The expense limitation agreement may be changed or eliminated at any time but only with the consent of the Board of Trustees of the Trust. The Trust is authorized to reimburse the Adviser for management fees previously waived and/or for expenses previously paid by the Adviser, provided, however, that any reimbursements must be paid at a date not more than three years after the fiscal year in which the Adviser waived the fees or reimbursed the expenses and the reimbursements do not cause the Fund to exceed the expense limitation that was in place at the time the Adviser waived the fees or reimbursed the expenses. Information about administrative services fees can be found in "Investing with Nationwide Funds" on page 20 of this Prospectus.

[3] Prior to September 30, 2003, Class C shares were subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 1.00%; this front-end sales charge is not reflected in the average annual total returns presented for the Class C shares shown above.

XML

Nationwide Global Equity Fund

FUND SUMMARY: NATIONWIDE GLOBAL EQUITY FUND

Objective

The Fund seeks to maximize total return, consisting of capital appreciation and current income.

Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay when buying and holding shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Nationwide Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Investing with Nationwide Funds” commencing on page 17 of this Prospectus and in “Additional Information on Purchases and Sales” commencing on page 61 of the Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Nationwide Global Equity Fund	Class A Shares	Class C Shares	Institutional Service Class Shares	Institutional Class Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	5.75%	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering or sale price, whichever is less)	none	1.00%	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Nationwide Global Equity Fund		Class A Shares	Class C Shares	Institutional Service Class Shares	Institutional Class Shares
Management Fees		0.75%	0.75%	0.75%	0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	none	none
Other Expenses	[1]	0.41%	0.31%	0.56%	0.31%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		1.41%	2.06%	1.31%	1.06%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	[2]	(0.11%)	(0.11%)	(0.11%)	(0.11%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Waivers/Reimbursements		1.30%	1.95%	1.20%	0.95%

Example

This Example is intended to help you to compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return each year and no change in expenses. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example Nationwide Global Equity Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years
Class A shares	700	985
Class C shares	298	635
Institutional Service Class shares	122	404
Institutional Class shares	97	326

You would pay the following expenses on the same investment if you did not sell your shares:

Expense Example, No Redemption (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years
Nationwide Global Equity Fund Class C shares	198	635

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year of the predecessor fund (June 30, 2012), the portfolio turnover rate was 77% of the average value of its portfolio. See the section entitled “Performance” for more information about the predecessor fund.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any) in equity securities. Investments in equity securities may include, but are not limited to, dividend paying securities, common stock and preferred stock of U.S. and foreign issuers, although the Fund is not limited to purchasing dividend-paying securities only, and may invest in stocks that provide little to no dividend income, but which offer the potential for capital growth. The Fund purchases stocks of U.S. and foreign companies of any size, including small-cap and mid-cap companies and which are located in either developed countries or emerging market countries. The Fund may also invest in currency futures and forward foreign currency exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in order to hedge against international currency exposure. In addition, these derivatives may be used for investment (non-hedging) purposes to earn income, to enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to certain markets, or to establish net short positions for individual currencies. The Fund’s subadviser, on behalf of the Fund, intends to diversify broadly among countries, but reserves the right to invest a substantial portion of the Fund’s assets in one or more countries if economic and business conditions warrant such investments. The Fund invests its assets in investments that are tied economically to a number of countries throughout the world, including the United States.

In the global universe, the subadviser uses a disciplined price-to-intrinsic value approach that seeks to take advantage of pricing anomalies in markets. In selecting securities, the subadviser focuses on, among other things, identifying discrepancies between a security’s fundamental value and its market price. The Fund generally considers selling a security when it reaches a target price, fails to perform as expected, or when other opportunities appear more attractive.

Principal Risks

The Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective.

As with any fund, the value of the Fund’s investments—and therefore, the value of Fund shares—may fluctuate. These changes may occur because of:

Stock market risk – the Fund could lose value if the individual stocks in which it invests or overall stock markets in which such stocks trade go down.

Foreign securities risk – foreign securities may be more volatile, harder to price and less liquid than U.S. securities. The prices of foreign securities may be further affected by other factors, such as changes in the exchange rates between the dollar and the currencies in which the securities are traded.

Emerging markets risk – a magnification of the risks that apply to all foreign investments. These risks are greater for securities of companies in emerging market countries because the countries may have less stable governments, more volatile currencies and less established markets.

Country risk – if the Fund emphasizes one or more countries, it may be more susceptible to the financial, market, political or economic events affecting the particular issuers and industries participating in such countries than funds that do not emphasize particular countries.

Preferred stock risk – a preferred stock may decline in price, or fail to pay dividends when expected, because the issuer experiences a decline in its financial status. Preferred stocks often behave like debt securities, but have a lower payment priority than the issuer’s bonds or other debt securities. Therefore, they may be subject to greater credit risk than those of debt securities. Preferred stocks also may be significantly less liquid than many other securities, such as corporate debt or common stock.

Smaller company risk – smaller companies are usually less stable in price and less liquid than are larger, more established companies. Smaller companies are more vulnerable than larger companies to adverse business and economic developments and may have more limited resources. Therefore, they generally involve greater risk.

Derivatives risk – the Fund's investments in currency futures and forward foreign currency exchange contracts (collectively, "currency contracts") may involve a small investment relative to the amount of risk assumed. To the extent the Fund enters into these transactions, its success will depend on the subadviser's ability to predict market movements, and their use may have the opposite effect of that intended. Risks include potential loss due to the imposition of controls by a government on the exchange of foreign currencies, the loss of any premium paid to enter into the transaction, delivery failure, default by the other party, or inability to close out a position because the trading market becomes illiquid. Derivatives may involve leverage, which means that their use can significantly magnify the effect of price movements of the underlying currency or reference measures, disproportionately increasing the Fund's losses and reducing the Fund's opportunities for gains. Some derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, including a loss that may be greater than the amount invested. Currency contracts may reduce the risk of loss from a change in the value of a currency, but they also limit any potential gains and do not protect against fluctuations in the value of the underlying stock.

In addition to these risks, the Fund's portfolio managers may select securities that underperform the stock market, the Fund's benchmark or other mutual funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. If the value of the Fund's investments goes down, you may lose money.

Performance

The returns presented for the Fund reflect the performance of the UBS Global Equity Fund, a former series of The UBS Funds (the "Predecessor Fund"). The Fund has adopted the performance of the Predecessor Fund as the result of a reorganization in which the Fund acquired all of the assets, subject to the liabilities, of the Predecessor Fund. The Fund and the Predecessor Fund have substantially similar investment goals and strategies.

The following bar chart and table can help you evaluate the Fund's potential risks. The bar chart shows how the Predecessor Fund's annual total returns have varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect the impact of sales charges. If the applicable sales charges were included, the annual total returns would be lower than those shown. The table compares the Predecessor Fund's average annual total returns to the returns of a broad-based securities index. Remember, however, that past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.nationwide.com/mutualfunds or by calling 800-848-0920.

Annual Total Returns – Institutional Class Shares
(Years Ended December 31,)

Total return January 1 – September 30, 2012:         12.91%
Best quarter during calendar years shown – 2Q 2009:         26.01%
Worst quarter during calendar years shown – 4Q 2008:         -22.99%

After-tax returns are shown in the table for Institutional Class shares only and will vary for other classes. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax return depends on your personal tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors in tax-deferred arrangements, such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans or certain other employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Institutional Service Class shares have not completed a year of performance as of the date of this Prospectus. Pre-inception historical performance for Institutional Service Class shares is based on the previous performance of Institutional Class shares.

Average Annual Total Returns
For the Periods Ended December 31, 2011

Average Annual Total Returns Nationwide Global Equity Fund		1 Year	5 Years	10 Years
Class A shares		(17.17%)	(4.17%)	2.32%
Class C shares	[1]	(13.61%)	(3.76%)	2.15%
Institutional Class shares		(11.84%)	(2.70%)	3.24%
Institutional Class shares After Taxes on Distributions		(11.72%)	(3.22%)	2.81%
Institutional Class shares After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Shares		(7.42%)	(2.46%)	2.63%
Institutional Service Class shares		(11.84%)	(2.70%)	3.24%
MSCI World Free Index (The Index does not pay sales charges, fees or expenses.)		(5.54%)	(2.37%)	3.62%

[1] "Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

[2] Nationwide Mutual Funds (the "Trust") and Nationwide Fund Advisors (the "Adviser") have entered into a written contract limiting operating expenses to 0.95% until at least February 28, 2014. Under the expense limitation agreement, the level to which operating expenses are limited applies to all share classes, excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, Rule 12b-1 fees, short-sale dividend expenses, administrative services fees, other expenses which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with any merger or reorganization, and may exclude other non-routine expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business. The expense limitation agreement may be changed or eliminated at any time but only with the consent of the Board of Trustees of the Trust. The Trust is authorized to reimburse the Adviser for management fees previously waived and/or for expenses previously paid by the Adviser, provided, however, that any reimbursements must be paid at a date not more than three years after the fiscal year in which the Adviser waived the fees or reimbursed the expenses and the reimbursements do not cause the Fund to exceed the expense limitation that was in place at the time the Adviser waived the fees or reimbursed the expenses. Information about administrative services fees can be found in "Investing with Nationwide Funds" on page 20 of this Prospectus.

[1] Prior to September 30, 2003, Class C shares were subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 1.00%; this front-end sales charge is not reflected in the average annual total returns presented for the Class C shares shown above.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NATIONWIDE MUTUAL FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jul. 06, 2012
Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	FUND SUMMARY: NATIONWIDE HIGH YIELD BOND FUND
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The Fund seeks to provide high current income, as well as capital growth when consistent with high current income.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay when buying and holding shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Nationwide Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Investing with Nationwide Funds” commencing on page 17 of this Prospectus and in “Additional Information on Purchases and Sales” commencing on page 61 of the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	February 28, 2014
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year of the predecessor fund (June 30, 2012), the portfolio turnover rate was 50% of the average value of its portfolio. See the section entitled “Performance” for more information about the predecessor fund.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	50.00%
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Nationwide Funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	100,000
Other Expenses, New Fund, Based on Estimates [Text]	rr_OtherExpensesNewFundBasedOnEstimates	“Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	This Example is intended to help you to compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return each year and no change in expenses. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption	You would pay the following expenses on the same investment if you did not sell your shares:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund invests in a portfolio of higher-yielding, lower-rated fixed-income securities issued by foreign and U.S. companies. Under normal conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any) in high-yield bonds. High-yield bonds are lower-rated or non-investment grade, and often are referred to as “junk bonds.” Such securities are considered to be of poorer quality and predominantly speculative. High-yield bonds generally offer investors higher interest rates as a way to help compensate for the fact that the issuer is at greater risk of default. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any maturity, but generally invests in securities having an initial maturity of more than one year. Investments in fixed-income securities may include, but are not limited to, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities. Up to 25% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in foreign securities, which may include securities of issuers in emerging market countries. The Fund may also invest in currency futures and forward foreign currency exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in order to hedge against international currency exposure. In addition, these derivatives may be used for investment (non-hedging) purposes to earn income, to enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to certain markets, or to establish net short positions for individual currencies. The Fund invests in securities that the subadviser expects will appreciate in value as a result of declines in long-term interest rates or favorable developments affecting the business or prospects of the issuer which may improve the issuer’s financial condition and credit rating. In selecting securities, the subadviser uses a quantitative and qualitative credit review process that assesses the ways in which macroeconomic forces (such as inflation, risk premiums and interest rates), as well as certain quantitative factors, such as historical operating results, calculation of credit ratios and expected future outlook, may affect industry trends. Against the output of this model, the subadviser considers the viability of specific debt securities, assessing management strength, market position, competitive environment and financial flexibility.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. As with any fund, the value of the Fund’s investments—and therefore, the value of Fund shares—may fluctuate. These changes may occur because of: Interest rate risk – generally, when interest rates go up, the value of fixed-income securities goes down. Credit risk – a bond issuer may be unable to pay the interest or principal when due. If an issuer defaults, the Fund may lose money. This risk is particularly high for high-yield bonds. Changes in a bond issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of a bond. High-yield bonds risk – investing in high-yield bonds and other lower-rated bonds will subject the Fund to substantial risk of loss. Liquidity risk – is the risk that a security cannot be sold, or cannot be sold quickly, at an acceptable price. Foreign securities risk – foreign securities may be more volatile, harder to price and less liquid than U.S. securities. The prices of foreign securities may be further affected by other factors, such as changes in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which the securities are traded. Emerging markets risk – a magnification of the risks that apply to all foreign investments. These risks are greater for securities of companies in emerging market countries because the countries may have less stable governments, more volatile currencies and less established markets. Prepayment and call risk – certain bonds will be paid off by the issuer more quickly than anticipated. If this happens, the Fund may be required to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields. Extension risk – when interest rates rise, certain bond obligations will be paid in full by the issuer more slowly than anticipated. This can cause the market value of the security to fall because the market may view its interest rate as low for a longer-term investment. Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities risks –through its investments in mortgage-backed securities, the Fund may have some exposure to subprime loans, as well as to the mortgage and credit markets generally. Subprime loans, which are loans made to borrowers with weakened credit histories, have had in many cases higher default rates than loans that meet government underwriting requirements. The credit quality of most asset-backed securities depends primarily on the credit quality of the assets underlying such securities, how well the entity issuing the security is insulated from the credit risk of the originator or any other affiliated entities, and the amount and quality of any credit enhancement of the securities. Derivatives risk – the Fund’s investments in currency futures and forward foreign currency exchange contracts (collectively, “currency contracts”) may involve a small investment relative to the amount of risk assumed. To the extent the Fund enters into these transactions, its success will depend on the subadviser’s ability to predict market movements, and their use may have the opposite effect of that intended. Risks include potential loss due to the imposition of controls by a government on the exchange of foreign currencies, the loss of any premium paid to enter into the transaction, delivery failure, default by the other party, or inability to close out a position because the trading market becomes illiquid. Derivatives may involve leverage, which means that their use can significantly magnify the effect of price movements of the underlying currency or reference measures, disproportionately increasing the Fund’s losses and reducing the Fund’s opportunities for gains. Some derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, including a loss that may be greater than the amount invested. Currency contracts may reduce the risk of loss from a change in the value of a currency, but they also limit any potential gains and do not protect against fluctuations in the value of the underlying bond. In addition to these risks, the Fund’s portfolio managers may select securities that underperform the stock market, the Fund’s benchmark or other mutual funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. If the value of the Fund’s investments goes down, you may lose money.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	If the value of the Fund’s investments goes down, you may lose money.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The returns presented for the Fund reflect the performance of the UBS High Yield Fund, a former series of The UBS Funds (the “Predecessor Fund”). The Fund has adopted the performance of the Predecessor Fund as the result of a reorganization in which the Fund acquired all of the assets, subject to the liabilities, of the Predecessor Fund. The Fund and the Predecessor Fund have substantially similar investment goals and strategies. The following bar chart and table can help you evaluate the Fund’s potential risks. The bar chart shows how the Predecessor Fund’s annual total returns have varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect the impact of sales charges. If the applicable sales charges were included, the annual total returns would be lower than those shown. The table compares the Predecessor Fund’s average annual total returns to the returns of a broad-based securities index. Remember, however, that past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.nationwide.com/mutualfunds or by calling 800-848-0920. Please call 800-848-0920 for the Fund’s current 30-day yield.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The following bar chart and table can help you evaluate the Fund’s potential risks. The bar chart shows how the Predecessor Fund’s annual total returns have varied from year to year.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	800-848-0920
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.nationwide.com/mutualfunds
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	Remember, however, that past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Annual Total Returns – Institutional Class Shares (Years Ended December 31,)
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These returns do not reflect the impact of sales charges. If the applicable sales charges were included, the annual total returns would be lower than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Total return January 1 – September 30, 2012:       11.60% Best quarter during calendar years shown – 2Q 2009:       19.58% Worst quarter during calendar years shown – 4Q 2008:       -16.49%
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns For the Periods Ended December 31, 2011
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	After-tax returns are not relevant to investors in tax-deferred arrangements, such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans or certain other employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	After-tax returns are shown in the table for Institutional Class shares only and will vary for other classes.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	After-tax returns are shown in the table for Institutional Class shares only and will vary for other classes. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax return depends on your personal tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors in tax-deferred arrangements, such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans or certain other employer-sponsored retirement plans. Institutional Service Class shares have not completed a year of performance as of the date of this Prospectus. Pre-inception historical performance for Institutional Service Class shares is based on the previous performance of Institutional Class shares.
Money Market Seven Day Yield Phone	rr_MoneyMarketSevenDayYieldPhone	800-848-0920
Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund | Class A shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	4.25%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering or sale price, whichever is less)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.49%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.29%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.19%)	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Waivers/Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.10%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	532
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	799
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(2.01%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.41%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.53%
Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund | Class C shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering or sale price, whichever is less)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice	0.75%
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.75%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.39%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.69%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.19%)	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Waivers/Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.50%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	228
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	514
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	153
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	514
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.19%	[3]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.81%	[3]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.46%	[3]
Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund | Institutional Class shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering or sale price, whichever is less)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.39%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.94%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.19%)	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Waivers/Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.75%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	77
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	281
2002	rr_AnnualReturn2002	(0.78%)
2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	23.16%
2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	13.35%
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	0.68%
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	10.25%
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	0.83%
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(23.23%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	44.50%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	14.41%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	2.48%
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Total return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2012
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	11.60%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	19.58%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(16.49%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.48%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.57%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.26%
Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund | Institutional Service Class shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering or sale price, whichever is less)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.64%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.19%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.19%)	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Waivers/Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.00%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	102
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	359
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.48%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.57%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.26%
Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund | After Taxes on Distributions | Institutional Class shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(0.24%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.35%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.98%
Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund | After Taxes on Distributions and Sales | Institutional Class shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.61%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.78%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.20%
Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund | BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Cash Pay Constrained Index (The Index does not pay sales charges, fees or expenses.)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	4.49%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.43%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.66%

[1] "Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

[2] Nationwide Mutual Funds (the "Trust") and Nationwide Fund Advisors (the "Adviser") have entered into a written contract limiting operating expenses to 0.75% until at least February 28, 2014. Under the expense limitation agreement, the level to which operating expenses are limited applies to all share classes, excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, Rule 12b-1 fees, short-sale dividend expenses, administrative services fees, other expenses which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with any merger or reorganization, and may exclude other non-routine expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business. The expense limitation agreement may be changed or eliminated at any time but only with the consent of the Board of Trustees of the Trust. The Trust is authorized to reimburse the Adviser for management fees previously waived and/or for expenses previously paid by the Adviser, provided, however, that any reimbursements must be paid at a date not more than three years after the fiscal year in which the Adviser waived the fees or reimbursed the expenses and the reimbursements do not cause the Fund to exceed the expense limitation that was in place at the time the Adviser waived the fees or reimbursed the expenses. Information about administrative services fees can be found in "Investing with Nationwide Funds" on page 20 of this Prospectus.

[3] Prior to September 30, 2003, Class C shares were subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 1.00%; this front-end sales charge is not reflected in the average annual total returns presented for the Class C shares shown above.

XML

Document and Entity Information	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 06, 2012
Risk/Return:
Document Type	Other
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2012
Registrant Name	NATIONWIDE MUTUAL FUNDS
Central Index Key	0001048702
Amendment Flag	false
Document Creation Date	Nov. 19, 2012
Document Effective Date	Nov. 19, 2012
Prospectus Date	Jul. 06, 2012

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NATIONWIDE MUTUAL FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jul. 06, 2012
Document Creation Date	dei_DocumentCreationDate	Nov. 19, 2012

XML

Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund

FUND SUMMARY: NATIONWIDE HIGH YIELD BOND FUND

Objective

The Fund seeks to provide high current income, as well as capital growth when consistent with high current income.

Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay when buying and holding shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Nationwide Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Investing with Nationwide Funds” commencing on page 17 of this Prospectus and in “Additional Information on Purchases and Sales” commencing on page 61 of the Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund	Class A Shares	Class C Shares	Institutional Service Class Shares	Institutional Class Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	4.25%	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering or sale price, whichever is less)	none	0.75%	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund		Class A shares	Class C shares	Institutional Service Class Shares	Institutional Class Shares
Management Fees		0.55%	0.55%	0.55%	0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	0.75%	none	none
Other Expenses	[1]	0.49%	0.39%	0.64%	0.39%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		1.29%	1.69%	1.19%	0.94%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	[2]	(0.19%)	(0.19%)	(0.19%)	(0.19%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Waivers/Reimbursements		1.10%	1.50%	1.00%	0.75%

Example

This Example is intended to help you to compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return each year and no change in expenses. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years
Class A shares	532	799
Class C shares	228	514
Institutional Service Class shares	102	359
Institutional Class shares	77	281

You would pay the following expenses on the same investment if you did not sell your shares:

Expense Example, No Redemption (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years
Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund Class C shares	153	514

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year of the predecessor fund (June 30, 2012), the portfolio turnover rate was 50% of the average value of its portfolio. See the section entitled “Performance” for more information about the predecessor fund.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund invests in a portfolio of higher-yielding, lower-rated fixed-income securities issued by foreign and U.S. companies. Under normal conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any) in high-yield bonds. High-yield bonds are lower-rated or non-investment grade, and often are referred to as “junk bonds.” Such securities are considered to be of poorer quality and predominantly speculative. High-yield bonds generally offer investors higher interest rates as a way to help compensate for the fact that the issuer is at greater risk of default.

The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any maturity, but generally invests in securities having an initial maturity of more than one year. Investments in fixed-income securities may include, but are not limited to, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities. Up to 25% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in foreign securities, which may include securities of issuers in emerging market countries. The Fund may also invest in currency futures and forward foreign currency exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in order to hedge against international currency exposure. In addition, these derivatives may be used for investment (non-hedging) purposes to earn income, to enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to certain markets, or to establish net short positions for individual currencies.

The Fund invests in securities that the subadviser expects will appreciate in value as a result of declines in long-term interest rates or favorable developments affecting the business or prospects of the issuer which may improve the issuer’s financial condition and credit rating. In selecting securities, the subadviser uses a quantitative and qualitative credit review process that assesses the ways in which macroeconomic forces (such as inflation, risk premiums and interest rates), as well as certain quantitative factors, such as historical operating results, calculation of credit ratios and expected future outlook, may affect industry trends. Against the output of this model, the subadviser considers the viability of specific debt securities, assessing management strength, market position, competitive environment and financial flexibility.

Principal Risks

The Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective.

As with any fund, the value of the Fund’s investments—and therefore, the value of Fund shares—may fluctuate. These changes may occur because of:

Interest rate risk – generally, when interest rates go up, the value of fixed-income securities goes down.

Credit risk – a bond issuer may be unable to pay the interest or principal when due. If an issuer defaults, the Fund may lose money. This risk is particularly high for high-yield bonds. Changes in a bond issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of a bond.

High-yield bonds risk – investing in high-yield bonds and other lower-rated bonds will subject the Fund to substantial risk of loss.

Liquidity risk – is the risk that a security cannot be sold, or cannot be sold quickly, at an acceptable price.

Foreign securities risk – foreign securities may be more volatile, harder to price and less liquid than U.S. securities. The prices of foreign securities may be further affected by other factors, such as changes in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which the securities are traded.

Emerging markets risk – a magnification of the risks that apply to all foreign investments. These risks are greater for securities of companies in emerging market countries because the countries may have less stable governments, more volatile currencies and less established markets.

Prepayment and call risk – certain bonds will be paid off by the issuer more quickly than anticipated. If this happens, the Fund may be required to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields.

Extension risk – when interest rates rise, certain bond obligations will be paid in full by the issuer more slowly than anticipated. This can cause the market value of the security to fall because the market may view its interest rate as low for a longer-term investment.

Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities risks –through its investments in mortgage-backed securities, the Fund may have some exposure to subprime loans, as well as to the mortgage and credit markets generally. Subprime loans, which are loans made to borrowers with weakened credit histories, have had in many cases higher default rates than loans that meet government underwriting requirements. The credit quality of most asset-backed securities depends primarily on the credit quality of the assets underlying such securities, how well the entity issuing the security is insulated from the credit risk of the originator or any other affiliated entities, and the amount and quality of any credit enhancement of the securities.

Derivatives risk – the Fund’s investments in currency futures and forward foreign currency exchange contracts (collectively, “currency contracts”) may involve a small investment relative to the amount of risk assumed. To the extent the Fund enters into these transactions, its success will depend on the subadviser’s ability to predict market movements, and their use may have the opposite effect of that intended. Risks include potential loss due to the imposition of controls by a government on the exchange of foreign currencies, the loss of any premium paid to enter into the transaction, delivery failure, default by the other party, or inability to close out a position because the trading market becomes illiquid. Derivatives may involve leverage, which means that their use can significantly magnify the effect of price movements of the underlying currency or reference measures, disproportionately increasing the Fund’s losses and reducing the Fund’s opportunities for gains. Some derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, including a loss that may be greater than the amount invested. Currency contracts may reduce the risk of loss from a change in the value of a currency, but they also limit any potential gains and do not protect against fluctuations in the value of the underlying bond.

In addition to these risks, the Fund’s portfolio managers may select securities that underperform the stock market, the Fund’s benchmark or other mutual funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. If the value of the Fund’s investments goes down, you may lose money.

Performance

The returns presented for the Fund reflect the performance of the UBS High Yield Fund, a former series of The UBS Funds (the “Predecessor Fund”). The Fund has adopted the performance of the Predecessor Fund as the result of a reorganization in which the Fund acquired all of the assets, subject to the liabilities, of the Predecessor Fund. The Fund and the Predecessor Fund have substantially similar investment goals and strategies.

The following bar chart and table can help you evaluate the Fund’s potential risks. The bar chart shows how the Predecessor Fund’s annual total returns have varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect the impact of sales charges. If the applicable sales charges were included, the annual total returns would be lower than those shown. The table compares the Predecessor Fund’s average annual total returns to the returns of a broad-based securities index. Remember, however, that past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.nationwide.com/mutualfunds or by calling 800-848-0920.

Please call 800-848-0920 for the Fund’s current 30-day yield.

Annual Total Returns – Institutional Class Shares
(Years Ended December 31,)

Total return January 1 – September 30, 2012:       11.60%
Best quarter during calendar years shown – 2Q 2009:       19.58%
Worst quarter during calendar years shown – 4Q 2008:       -16.49%

After-tax returns are shown in the table for Institutional Class shares only and will vary for other classes. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax return depends on your personal tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors in tax-deferred arrangements, such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans or certain other employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Institutional Service Class shares have not completed a year of performance as of the date of this Prospectus. Pre-inception historical performance for Institutional Service Class shares is based on the previous performance of Institutional Class shares.

Average Annual Total Returns
For the Periods Ended December 31, 2011

Average Annual Total Returns Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund		1 Year	5 Years	10 Years
Class A shares		(2.01%)	4.41%	6.53%
Class C shares	[1]	1.19%	4.81%	6.46%
Institutional Class shares		2.48%	5.57%	7.26%
Institutional Class shares After Taxes on Distributions		(0.24%)	2.35%	3.98%
Institutional Class shares After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Shares		1.61%	2.78%	4.20%
Institutional Service Class shares		2.48%	5.57%	7.26%
BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Cash Pay Constrained Index (The Index does not pay sales charges, fees or expenses.)		4.49%	7.43%	8.66%

[1] "Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

[2] Nationwide Mutual Funds (the "Trust") and Nationwide Fund Advisors (the "Adviser") have entered into a written contract limiting operating expenses to 0.75% until at least February 28, 2014. Under the expense limitation agreement, the level to which operating expenses are limited applies to all share classes, excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, Rule 12b-1 fees, short-sale dividend expenses, administrative services fees, other expenses which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with any merger or reorganization, and may exclude other non-routine expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business. The expense limitation agreement may be changed or eliminated at any time but only with the consent of the Board of Trustees of the Trust. The Trust is authorized to reimburse the Adviser for management fees previously waived and/or for expenses previously paid by the Adviser, provided, however, that any reimbursements must be paid at a date not more than three years after the fiscal year in which the Adviser waived the fees or reimbursed the expenses and the reimbursements do not cause the Fund to exceed the expense limitation that was in place at the time the Adviser waived the fees or reimbursed the expenses. Information about administrative services fees can be found in "Investing with Nationwide Funds" on page 20 of this Prospectus.

[1] Prior to September 30, 2003, Class C shares were subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 1.00%; this front-end sales charge is not reflected in the average annual total returns presented for the Class C shares shown above.