Label	Element	Value
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NATIONWIDE MUTUAL FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Feb. 28, 2025
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Fund Summary: Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Objective</span>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Objective, Secondary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectiveSecondaryTextBlock	Current income is a secondary consideration in selecting portfolio investments.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Fees and Expenses</span>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. 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 the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Investing with Nationwide Funds” commencing on page 78 of this Prospectus and in “Additional Information on Purchases and Sales” commencing on page 95 of the Statement of Additional Information. In addition, if you purchase shares through a specific intermediary, you may be subject to different sales charges including reductions in or waivers of such charges. More information about these intermediary-specific sales charge variations is available in Appendix A to the Fund’s Prospectus.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Shareholder Fees </span><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">(fees paid directly from your investment)</span>
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Annual Fund Operating Expenses </span><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)</span>
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:8pt;">February 28, 2026</span>
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Portfolio Turnover</span>
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, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 8.89% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	8.89%
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at </span><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">least </span><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">$50,000 </span><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">in the Fund. </span>
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	$ 50,000
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Example</span>
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 time periods. It assumes a 5% return each year and no change in expenses, and any expense limitation or fee waivers that may apply for the periods indicated above under “Fees and Expenses.” Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Principal Investment Strategies</span>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in common stocks of small companies, which are companies with total operating revenues of $500 million or less at the time of the initial investment. It is important to note that the Fund does NOT choose its portfolio companies based on a reference to market capitalization. Rather, the Fund’s focus is on the revenue produced by the issuer of the securities. The Fund employs a “growth” style of investing. In other words, the Fund seeks companies whose earnings are expected to grow consistently faster than those of other companies. In pursuing this approach, the subadviser seeks to build a portfolio of exceptional small companies, purchased early in their corporate life cycle, that have the wherewithal to become exceptional large companies. In selecting small companies with the potential to become successful large companies, the subadviser analyzes the potential for sustainable revenue growth; adequate resources to establish and defend a viable product or service market, and market share; sufficient profitability to support long-term growth; and management skills and resources necessary to plan and execute a long-term growth plan. The subadviser generally expects to hold securities for the long term in order to realize the potential rewards for incurring the risks associated with investing early in a company’s corporate life cycle. Nevertheless, the subadviser sells securities when it believes their potential for future growth is diminished. The Fund may emphasize particular industry sectors or groupings, such as the software sector, and the percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in such sectors or groupings will vary from time to time, depending on the subadviser’s perception of investment opportunities. The Fund is intended for aggressive investors seeking above-average gains and who are willing to accept the risks involved in investing in the securities of small companies. By itself, the Fund is not intended to serve as a complete investment program.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Principal Risks</span>
Risk [Text Block]	rr_RiskTextBlock	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:Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Performance</span>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and table can help you evaluate the Fund’s potential risks. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s annual total returns have varied from year to year. The table compares the Fund’s average annual total returns to the returns of a broad-based securities market index and an additional index. The additional index has characteristics relevant to the Fund’s investment strategy. 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 nationwide.com/mutualfunds or by calling 800-848-0920. The Fund has begun comparing its performance to the Russell 3000 Index to satisfy a new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosure requirement.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">The bar chart shows how the Fund’s </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">annual total returns have varied from year to year. The table compares the Fund’s average annual total returns to the returns of a broad-based securities market index and an additional index. The additional index has characteristics relevant to the Fund’s investment strategy.</span>
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">800-848-0920</span>
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">nationwide.com/mutualfunds</span>
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> Remember, </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">however, that past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future.</span>
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Annual Total Returns</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:2.5pt;">– Institutional Service Class Shares</span><br/><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">(Years Ended December 31,)</span>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Highest Quarter:36.08%–2Q 2020Lowest Quarter:-23.21%–2Q 2022
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Average Annual Total Returns</span> <br/><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">(For the Periods Ended December 31, 2024)</span>
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest </span><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes.</span>
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">After-tax returns are not relevant to </span><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">investors in tax-advantaged arrangements, such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans or certain other employer-sponsored retirement plans.</span>
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">After-tax returns are shown in the table for Institutional Service Class shares only and will vary for other classes. </span>
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	After-tax returns are shown in the table for Institutional Service 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-advantaged arrangements, such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans or certain other employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Risk Lose Money [Member]
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk [Text Block]	rr_RiskTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Equity Securities Risk [Member]
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk [Text Block]	rr_RiskTextBlock	Equity securities risk – stock markets are volatile. The price of an equity security fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions.
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Market Risk [Member]
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk [Text Block]	rr_RiskTextBlock	Market risk – the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. This occurs due to numerous factors, including interest rates, the outlook for corporate profits, the health of the national and world economies, and the fluctuation of other securities markets around the world. These risks may be magnified if certain social, political, economic and other conditions and events (such as natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts and social unrest or rapid technological developments such as artificial intelligence) adversely interrupt the global economy.
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Selection Risk [Member]
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk [Text Block]	rr_RiskTextBlock	Selection risk – the risk that the securities selected by the Fund’s subadviser will underperform the markets, the relevant indexes or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies.
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Smaller Company Risk [Member]
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk [Text Block]	rr_RiskTextBlock	Smaller company risk – smaller companies are usually less stable in price and less liquid than 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.
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Growth Style Risk [Member]
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk [Text Block]	rr_RiskTextBlock	Growth style risk – growth stocks are generally more sensitive to market movements than other types of stocks primarily because their stock prices are based heavily on future expectations. If the subadviser’s assessment of the prospects for a company’s growth is wrong, or if the subadviser’s judgment of how other investors will value the company’s growth is wrong, then the Fund will suffer a loss as the price of the company’s stock may fall or not approach the value that the subadviser has placed on it. In addition, growth stocks as a group sometimes are out of favor and underperform the overall equity market for long periods while the market concentrates on other types of stocks, such as “value” stocks.
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Sector Risk [Member]
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk [Text Block]	rr_RiskTextBlock	Sector risk – investments in particular industries or sectors may be more volatile than the overall stock market. Therefore, if the Fund emphasizes one or more industries or economic sectors, it will be more susceptible to financial, market or economic events affecting the particular issuers and industries participating in such sectors than funds that do not emphasize particular industries or sectors.
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Strategy Risk [Member]
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk [Text Block]	rr_RiskTextBlock	Strategy risk – the subadviser’s strategy of generally holding stocks for long time periods, combined with its emphasis at times on particular industries or sectors, is likely to cause the Fund to experience above-average short-term volatility. Accordingly, the Fund may be appropriate for investors who have a long investment time horizon and who seek to maximize long-term returns while accepting the possibility of significant short-term, or even long-term, losses.
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Class A Shares
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	5.75%
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.84%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.27%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.36%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.03%)	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.33%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 703
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	978
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,274
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 2,114
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	6.94%
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	10.40%
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	28.20%
2018	rr_AnnualReturn2018	1.59%
2019	rr_AnnualReturn2019	28.93%
2020	rr_AnnualReturn2020	46.48%
2021	rr_AnnualReturn2021	(5.35%)
Annual Return 2022	rr_AnnualReturn2022	(38.12%)
Annual Return 2023	rr_AnnualReturn2023	20.10%
Annual Return 2024	rr_AnnualReturn2024	10.34%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0.0pt;">Highest Quarter:</span>
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2020
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	36.08%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0.0pt;">Lowest Quarter:</span>
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2022
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(23.21%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.85%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.21%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.66%
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Institutional Service Class Shares
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.84%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.36%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.20%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.03%)	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.17%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 119
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	378
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	657
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 1,452
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	10.34%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.60%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.47%
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | After Taxes on Distributions | Institutional Service Class Shares
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	8.47%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	0.23%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.60%
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Shares | Institutional Service Class Shares
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.48%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.09%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.82%
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Russell 3000® Index (The Index does not pay sales charges, fees, expenses or taxes.)
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	23.81%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	13.86%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	12.55%
Nationwide Small Company Growth Fund | Russell 2000® Growth Index (The Index does not pay sales charges, fees, expenses or taxes.)
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	15.15%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.86%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.09%

[1] Nationwide Mutual Funds (the “Trust”) and Nationwide Fund Advisors (the “Adviser”) have entered into a written contract limiting annual fund operating expenses to 0.94% until at least February 28, 2026. Under the expense limitation agreement, the level to which operating expenses are limited applies to all share classes, excluding any taxes, interest, compensation payable to parties not affiliated with the Adviser for the recovery of tax reclaims, brokerage commissions, Rule 12b-1 fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, 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 nonroutine expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business. The expense limitation agreement may be changed or eliminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees of the Trust. The Adviser may request and receive reimbursement from the Fund for advisory fees waived or other expenses reimbursed by the Adviser pursuant to the expense limitation agreement at a date not to exceed three years from the date in which the corresponding waiver or reimbursement to the Fund was made. However, no reimbursement may be made unless: (i) the Fund’s assets exceed $100 million and (ii) the total annual expense ratio of the class making such reimbursement is no higher than the amount of the expense limitation that was in place at the time the Adviser waived the fees or reimbursed the expenses and does not cause the expense ratio to exceed the current expense limitation. Reimbursement by the Fund of amounts previously waived or reimbursed by the Adviser is not permitted except as provided for in the expense limitation agreement.