485BPOS

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 19, 2014
File Nos. 333-76651, 811-09301

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933	S
Pre-Effective Amendment No.	£
Post-Effective Amendment No. 78	S
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940	S
Amendment No. 81	S
(Check appropriate box or boxes)

TIAA-CREF Funds
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) 

730 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10017-3206
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (800) 842-2733

John M. McCann, Esq.
TIAA-CREF Funds
8500 Andrew Carnegie Boulevard
Charlotte, North Carolina 28262
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copy to:
Jeffrey S. Puretz, Esq.
Dechert LLP
1900 K Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
As soon as practicable after effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

S	Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
£	On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
£	60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
£	75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
£	On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
£	On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485

If appropriate, check the following box:

£ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

Explanatory Note

This post-effective amendment on Form 485BPOS is being submitted for the sole purpose of furnishing, in Exhibit 101, XBRL Interactive Data for the related official 485BPOS filing which was submitted to the Commission on July 28, 2014.

No other changes have been made to the Form 485BPOS. This Form 485BPOS does not reflect events that may have occurred subsequent to the original filing date, and does not modify or update any related disclosures made in the related official Form 485BPOS.

Pursuant to Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, the Interactive Data Files on Exhibit 101 hereto are deemed not filed or part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, are deemed not filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and otherwise are not subject to liability under those sections.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, TIAA-CREF Funds certifies that it meets all the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of New York, and State of New York on the 19th day of August, 2014.

TIAA-CREF FUNDS
By:	/s/ Robert G. Leary
Name:	Robert G. Leary
Title:	President and Principal Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ Robert G. Leary	President and Principal Executive Officer	August 19, 2014
Robert G. Leary	(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Phillip G. Goff	Principal Financial Officer,	August 19, 2014
Phillip G. Goff	Principal Accounting Officer and Treasurer
	(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

SIGNATURE OF TRUSTEE	DATE	SIGNATURE OF TRUSTEE	DATE
*	August 19, 2014	*	August 19, 2014
Forrest Berkley		Thomas J. Kenny
*	August 19, 2014	*	August 19, 2014
Nancy Eckl		Bridget A. Macaskill
*	August 19, 2014	*	August 19, 2014
Michael A. Forrester		James M. Poterba
*	August 19, 2014	*	August 19, 2014
Howell E. Jackson		Maceo K. Sloan
*	August 19, 2014	*	August 19, 2014
Nancy L. Jacobs		Laura T. Starks
/s/ Rachael M. Zufall	August 19, 2014
Rachael M. Zufall
as attorney-in-fact

* Signed by Rachael M. Zufall pursuant to powers of attorney previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

EXHIBIT LIST

101.	INS XBRL Instance Document
101.	SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
101.	DEF XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
101.	LAB XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase
101.	PRE XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

TIAA-CREF Tax-Exempt Bond Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment objective

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks a high level of current income that is exempt from regular federal income tax.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and expenses

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

SHAREHOLDER FEES (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

2015-07-31

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 155% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

155.00%

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal investment strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in tax-exempt bonds, a type of municipal security, the interest on which, in the opinion of the issuer’s bond counsel at the time of issuance, is exempt from federal income tax, including federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). The Fund may also invest in other municipal securities including bonds, notes, commercial paper and other instruments (including participation interests in such securities) issued by or on behalf of the states, territories and possessions of the United States (including the District of Columbia) and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, the interest on which, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuers at the time of issuance, is exempt from regular federal income tax (i.e., excludable from gross income for individuals for federal income tax purposes but not necessarily exempt from AMT). Some of these securities may also be exempt from certain state and local income taxes. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

Municipal securities are often issued to raise funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as bridges, highways, housing, hospitals, mass transportation facilities, schools, streets and public utilities such as water and sewer works.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in private activity bonds. Private activity bonds are tax-exempt bonds whose proceeds are used to finance private, for-profit organizations. The interest on these securities (including the Fund’s distribution of that interest) may be a preference item for purposes of the AMT. The AMT is a special tax system that ensures that individuals and certain corporations pay at least some federal taxes. Income from securities that are a preference item is included in the computation of the AMT.

The Fund can also invest in other municipal securities, including certificates of participation, municipal leases, municipal obligation components and municipal custody receipts. In addition, the Fund can invest in municipal bonds secured by mortgages on single-family homes and multi-family projects. The Fund’s investments in these securities are subject to prepayment and extension risk. All of the Fund’s assets are dollar-denominated securities.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in securities rated below investment-grade, or unrated securities of comparable quality which are usually called “junk” bonds. The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative securities and financial instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies.

The Fund pursues superior returns using historical yield spread and credit analysis to identify and invest in undervalued market sectors and individual securities. The Fund usually sells investments that Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) believes to be overvalued on a relative basis. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration. As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Fund’s benchmark index, the Barclays 10-Year Municipal Bond Index, was 5.85 years.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal investment risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· State and Municipal Investment Risk—Because the Fund invests significantly in tax-exempt bonds and other municipal securities, events affecting states and municipalities may adversely affect the Fund’s investments and its performance. These events may include severe financial difficulties and continued budget deficits, economic or political policy changes, tax base erosion, state constitutional limits on tax increases, and changes in the credit ratings assigned to state and municipal issuers of debt instruments.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Illiquid Investments Risk—The risk that illiquid investments may be difficult to sell for their fair market value, if at all, or at any price.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Past performance

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the Retail Class of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year.

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.tiaa-cref.org

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

Bar Chart Footnotes [Text Block]

rr_BarChartFootnotesTextBlock

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 4.14%.

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

Best quarter: 6.48%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -4.78%, for the quarter ended December 31, 2010.

Year to Date Return, Label

rr_YearToDateReturnLabel

The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2014

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn

4.14%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Best quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

6.48%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Worst quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2010

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(4.78%)

Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text]

rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes

(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

Caption

rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Thirty Day Yield Phone

rr_ThirtyDayYieldPhone

800 842-2252

Barclays 10-Year Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.17%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.83%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.13%

^[1]

Retail Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

$ 15.00

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.30%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.08%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.63%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.63%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

64

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

202

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

351

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

786

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(3.89%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.22%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.15%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Institutional Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.30%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.05%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.35%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.35%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

36

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

113

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

197

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

$ 443

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

3.64%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(1.90%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

11.76%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

2.30%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

12.02%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

5.49%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

(3.63%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(3.63%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.42%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.30%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(3.83%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.30%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.22%

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.94%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.01%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.13%

[1] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

[2] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.70% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; and (ii) 0.35% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment objective

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to obtain a favorable long-term total return through both capital appreciation and current income, by investing primarily in equity securities of companies principally engaged in or related to the real estate industry.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and expenses

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

SHAREHOLDER FEES (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

2015-07-31

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 65% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

65.00%

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal investment strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the securities of companies that are principally engaged in or related to the real estate industry (“real estate securities”), including those that own significant real estate assets, such as real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund will invest primarily in equity securities of such companies. The Fund is actively managed using a research-oriented process with a focus on cash flows, asset values and Teachers Advisors, Inc.’s (“Advisors”) belief in management’s ability to increase shareholder value. The Fund does not invest directly in real estate. The Fund concentrates its investments in the real estate industry. From time to time, the Fund may also invest in debt securities of companies principally engaged in or related to the real estate industry. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

An issuer is principally “engaged in” or principally “related to” the real estate industry if at least 50% of its assets, gross income or net profits are attributable to ownership, construction, management or sale of residential, commercial or industrial real estate, or to products or services related to the real estate industry. The Fund typically invests in securities issued by equity REITs (which directly own real estate), mortgage REITs (which make short-term construction or real estate development loans or invest in long-term mortgages or mortgage pools), real estate brokers and developers, homebuilders, companies that manage real estate and companies that own substantial amounts of real estate. Businesses related to the real estate industry include manufacturers and distributors of building supplies and financial institutions that make or service mortgage loans.

The Fund also may invest up to 15% of its assets in real estate securities of foreign issuers and up to 20% of its assets in equity (including preferred stock) and debt securities of issuers that are not engaged in or related to the real estate industry. The benchmark index for the Fund is the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REITs Index.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal investment risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Real Estate Investing Risk—As a result of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund is subject to all of the risks associated with the ownership of real estate. These risks include, among others, declines in the value of real estate, negative changes in the climate for real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, decreases in property revenues, increases in prevailing interest rates, property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws and costs resulting from the cleanup of environmental problems.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Market Risk—The risk that market prices of portfolio investments held by the Fund may fall rapidly or unpredictably due to a variety of factors, including changing economic, political or market conditions. Market risk may affect a single issuer, industry or sector of the economy, or it may affect the market as a whole.

· Foreign Investment Risk—Foreign markets can be more volatile than the U.S. market due to increased risks of adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments and can result in greater price volatility and perform differently from financial instruments of U.S. issuers. This risk may be heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Industry Concentration Risk—Because the Fund concentrates its investments in only one industry and holds securities of relatively few issuers, the value of its portfolio is likely to experience greater fluctuations and may be subject to greater risk than those of other funds.

· Mid-Cap Risk—The risk that the stocks of mid-capitalization companies often experience greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than the stocks of larger, more established companies.

· Small-Cap Risk—The risk that the stocks of small-capitalization companies often experience greater price volatility than large- or mid-sized companies because small-cap companies are often newer or less established than larger companies and are likely to have more limited resources, products and markets. Securities of small-cap companies are often less liquid than securities of larger companies as a result of there being a smaller market for their securities.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Past performance

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year for the last ten years. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year.

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.tiaa-cref.org

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

Bar Chart Footnotes [Text Block]

rr_BarChartFootnotesTextBlock

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 15.33%.

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

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Best quarter: 31.84%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -37.54%, for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.

Year to Date Return, Label

rr_YearToDateReturnLabel

The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2014

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn

15.33%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Best quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

31.84%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Worst quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(37.54%)

Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text]

rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes

(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Caption

rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

FTSE NAREIT All Equity REITs Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

2.86%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.90%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

8.61%

Retail Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

$ 15.00

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.50%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.11%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.86%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.86%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

88

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

274

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

477

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,061

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

1.28%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.93%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

7.32%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Oct. 01, 2002

Retirement Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.50%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.27%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.77%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.77%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

79

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

246

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

428

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

954

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

1.39%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.98%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

7.30%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Oct. 01, 2002

Premier Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.50%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.15%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.02%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.67%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.67%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

68

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

214

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

373

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

835

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

1.47%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.13%

^[2]

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

7.45%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Institutional Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.50%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.02%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.52%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.52%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

53

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

167

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

291

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

$ 653

Annual Return 2004

rr_AnnualReturn2004

33.17%

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

7.19%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

33.07%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

(16.74%)

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(38.58%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

24.65%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

31.10%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

6.97%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

19.55%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

1.71%

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

1.71%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.28%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

7.52%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Oct. 01, 2002

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.41%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.33%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

5.48%

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

1.23%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

12.74%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

5.41%

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.96% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.82% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.72% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.57% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[2] The performance shown for the Premier Class that is prior to its inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

TIAA-CREF Social Choice Bond Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment objective

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks a favorable long-term total return through income and capital appreciation while giving special consideration to certain social criteria.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and expenses

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

SHAREHOLDER FEES (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

2015-07-31

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 393% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

393.00%

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal investment strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds. For these purposes, bonds include fixed-income securities of all types. The Fund primarily invests in a broad range of investment-grade bonds and fixed-income securities, including, but not limited to, U.S. Government securities, corporate bonds, taxable municipal securities and mortgage-backed or other asset backed-securities. The Fund may also invest in other fixed-income securities, including those of non-investment grade quality. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration. As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Fund’s benchmark index, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, was 5.63 years. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

The Fund is actively managed and does not rely exclusively on rating agencies when making investment decisions. Instead, the Fund’s investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) performs its own credit analysis, paying particular attention to economic trends and other market events. Subject to the environmental, social and governance criteria (“ESG”) described below, individual securities or sectors are then overweighted or underweighted relative to the Fund’s benchmark index, when Advisors believes that the Fund can take advantage of what appear to be undervalued, overlooked or misunderstood issuers that offer the potential to boost returns above that of the index.

The Fund’s investments in fixed-income securities issued by corporate entities or certain foreign governments are subject to certain ESG criteria. The research vendor currently providing the ESG performance evaluation is MSCI, Inc. (“MSCI”). All corporate issuers must meet or exceed minimum ESG performance standards to be eligible for investment by the Fund. The evaluation process favors companies with leadership in ESG performance relative to their peers. Typically, environmental assessment categories include climate change, natural resource use, waste management and environmental opportunities. Social evaluation categories include human capital, product safety and social opportunities. Governance assessment categories include corporate governance, business ethics and government & public policy. How well companies adhere to international norms and principles and involvement in major ESG controversies (within environment, customers, human rights & community, labor rights & supply chain, and governance) are other considerations.

The ESG evaluation process is conducted on an industry-specific basis and involves the identification of key performance indicators, which are given more or less relative weight compared to the broader range of potential assessment categories. Concerns in one area do not automatically eliminate an issuer from being an eligible Fund investment. When ESG concerns exist, the evaluation process gives careful consideration to how companies address the risks and opportunities they face in the context of their sector or industry and relative to their peers. The social and environmental impact of corporate activities related to the production and sale of alcohol, tobacco, military weapons, firearms, nuclear power and gambling products and services are quantified and incorporated into a corporate issuer’s overall ESG performance assessment. While not automatically excluded from the Fund, most corporate issuers involved in these industries are ineligible for inclusion in the Fund due to their poor overall ESG performance. While Advisors may invest in corporate and foreign government issuers that meet these criteria, it is not required to invest in every issuer that meets these criteria. The ESG criteria the Fund takes into consideration are non-fundamental investment policies. Such criteria and the universe of investments that the Fund utilizes may be changed without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders.

The Fund is not restricted from investing in any securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities. Advisors considers investments in these securities to be consistent with the Fund’s investment and social objectives.

The Fund also invests in certain asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities and other securities that represent interests in assets such as pools of mortgage loans, automobile loans or credit card receivables. These securities are typically issued by legal entities established specifically to hold assets and to issue debt obligations backed by those assets. Asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities are normally created or “sponsored” by banks or other institutions or by certain government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Advisors does not take into consideration whether the sponsor of an asset-backed security in which the Fund invests meets the ESG criteria. That is because asset-backed securities represent interests in pools of loans, and not of the ongoing business enterprise of the sponsor. It is therefore possible that the Fund could invest in an asset-backed or mortgage-backed security sponsored by a bank or other financial institution in which the Fund could not invest directly.

The Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed securities can include pass-through securities sold by private, governmental and government-related organizations and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”). Mortgage pass-through securities are created when mortgages are pooled together and interests in the pool are sold to investors. The cash flow from the underlying mortgages is “passed through” to investors in periodic principal and interest payments. CMOs are obligations that are fully collateralized directly or indirectly by a pool of mortgages from which payments of principal and interest are dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on the CMO.

The Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Committee (the “CGSR Committee”) of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (“Board of Trustees”) reviews the ESG criteria used to evaluate securities issued by corporate and foreign government issuers held by the Fund and approves the vendor of that service. Advisors seeks to ensure that the Fund’s investments in securities issued by corporate and foreign government issuers are consistent with its ESG criteria, but Advisors cannot guarantee that this will always be the case for every Fund investment issued by a corporate entity or by a foreign government or agency. Consistent with its responsibilities, the CGSR Committee evaluates options for implementing the Fund’s ESG investment criteria and monitors the ESG vendors selected to supply the ESG-eligible universe. Advisors has the right to change the ESG vendor(s) at any time and to add to the number of vendors providing the universe of eligible companies. Investing on the basis of ESG criteria is qualitative and subjective by nature, and there can be no assurance that the ESG criteria utilized by the Fund’s ESG vendor(s) or any judgment exercised by the CGSR Committee or Advisors will reflect the beliefs or values of any particular investor.

Additionally, Advisors invests a portion of the Fund’s assets in fixed-income instruments that reflect proactive social investments. As of March 31, 2014, these investments were 24.9% of the portfolio. These investments provide direct exposure to socially beneficial issuers and/or individual projects. Within this proactive social investments allocation, the Fund seeks opportunities to invest in publicly traded fixed-income securities that finance initiatives in areas including affordable housing, community and economic development, renewable energy and climate change, and natural resources. These investments will be selected based on the same financial criteria used by Advisors in selecting the Fund’s other fixed-income investments.

The Fund may also use a trading technique called “mortgage rolls” or “dollar rolls” in which the Fund “rolls over” an investment in a mortgage-backed security before its settlement date in exchange for a similar security with a later settlement date.

The Fund may also engage in relative value trading, a strategy in which the Fund reallocates assets across different sectors and maturities. Relative value trading is designed to enhance the Fund’s returns but increases the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies. The Fund may also invest in foreign securities, including emerging markets fixed-income securities and non-dollar denominated instruments. Under most circumstances, the Fund’s investments in fixed-income securities of foreign issuers constitute less than 20% of the Fund’s assets.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal investment risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund's portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Social Criteria Risk—The risk that because the Fund’s social criteria exclude securities of certain issuers for nonfinancial reasons, the Fund may forgo some market opportunities available to funds that don’t use these criteria.

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Prepayment Risk—The risk that during periods of falling interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, forcing the Fund to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates and resulting in a decline in income.

· Extension Risk—The risk that during periods of rising interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans later than expected, preventing the Fund from reinvesting principal proceeds at higher interest rates and resulting in less income than potentially available.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Income Volatility Risk—The risk that the level of current income from a portfolio of fixed-income investments declines in certain interest rate environments.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Mortgage Roll Risk—The risk that Advisors will not correctly predict mortgage prepayments and interest rates, which will diminish the Fund’s performance.

· Downgrade Risk—The risk that securities are subsequently downgraded should Advisors and/or rating agencies believe the issuer’s business outlook or creditworthiness has deteriorated.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Illiquid Investments Risk—The risk that illiquid investments may be difficult to sell for their fair market value, if at all, or at any price.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Past performance

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class will vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

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The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year.

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

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www.tiaa-cref.org

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

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Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

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ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

Bar Chart Footnotes [Text Block]

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^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 5.64%.

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

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Best quarter: 0.93%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2013. Worst quarter: -2.54%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

Year to Date Return, Label

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The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date

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Jun. 30, 2014

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return

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5.64%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

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Best quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

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Sep. 30, 2013

Highest Quarterly Return

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0.93%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

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Worst quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

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Jun. 30, 2013

Lowest Quarterly Return

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(2.54%)

Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text]

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(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

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After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

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The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

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After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

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Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

Caption

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AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Thirty Day Yield Phone

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800 842-2252

Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

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1 Year

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(2.02%)

Since Inception

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(1.16%)

^[1]

Retail Class

Risk/Return:

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Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

$ 15.00

Management Fees

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0.35%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

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0.32%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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0.92%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

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(0.17%)

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

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0.75%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

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77

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

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276

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

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493

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

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1,116

1 Year

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(1.60%)

Since Inception

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(0.34%)

Inception Date

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Sep. 21, 2012

Retirement Class

Risk/Return:

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Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.35%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.50%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.85%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

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(0.20%)

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.65%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

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66

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

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251

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

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452

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

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1,030

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.51%)

Since Inception

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(0.25%)

Inception Date

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Sep. 21, 2012

Premier Class

Risk/Return:

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Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

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none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

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none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.35%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

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0.15%

Other Expenses

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0.25%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.75%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

(0.20%)

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.55%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

56

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

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220

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

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397

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

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912

1 Year

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(1.41%)

Since Inception

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(0.15%)

Inception Date

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Sep. 21, 2012

Institutional Class

Risk/Return:

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Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.35%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.24%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.59%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

(0.19%)

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.40%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

41

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

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170

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

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310

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

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$ 720

Annual Return 2013

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(1.27%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.27%)

Since Inception

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none

Inception Date

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Sep. 21, 2012

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions

Risk/Return:

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1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.97%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

(0.77%)

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

Risk/Return:

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1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.72%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

(0.32%)

[1] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

[2] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.75% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.65% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.55% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.40% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

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TIAA-CREF Short-Term Bond Fund

TIAA-CREF Short-Term Bond Fund

Investment objective

The Fund seeks high current income.

Fees and expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees TIAA-CREF Short-Term Bond Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)	none	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge	none	none	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions	none	none	none	none
Redemption or Exchange Fee	none	none	none	none
Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)	15.00	none	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 TIAA-CREF Short-Term Bond Fund		Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Management Fees		0.25%	0.25%	0.25%	0.25%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees		0.25%		0.15%
Other Expenses		0.10%	0.28%	0.03%	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.60%	0.53%	0.43%	0.28%
Waivers and Expense Reimbursements	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement		0.60%	0.53%	0.43%	0.28%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example TIAA-CREF Short-Term Bond Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
1 Year	61	54	44	29
3 Years	192	170	138	90
5 Years	335	296	241	157
10 Years	750	665	542	356

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 112% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in U.S. Treasury and agency securities and investment-grade fixed-income investments with an average maturity or average lives of less than 5 years. The Fund primarily invests in a broad range of investment-grade bonds and fixed-income securities, including, but not limited to, U.S. Government securities, corporate bonds and mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities. The Fund may also invest in other fixed-income securities, including those of non-investment grade quality. The Fund may overweight or underweight individual securities or sectors as compared to their weight in the index when the Fund’s Investment Adviser, Teacher’s Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) finds undervalued or overlooked issues that it believes offer the potential for superior returns. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

Effective January 1, 2014, the Fund’s benchmark index changed from the Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (the “Barclays 1-5 Year Index”) to the Barclays U.S. 1-3 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (the “Barclays 1-3 Year Index”). As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Barclays 1-5 Year Index was 2.68 years and the duration of the Barclays 1-3 Year Index was 1.94 years. Although the Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any maturity, the duration of the Fund’s portfolio typically ranges between one and three years. The Fund also has a policy of maintaining a dollar weighted average maturity of portfolio holdings of no more than three years.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies.

The Fund may invest in foreign securities, including emerging markets fixed-income securities and non-dollar denominated instruments. Under most circumstances, the Fund’s investments in fixed-income securities of foreign issuers constitute less than 20% of the Fund’s assets.

Principal investment risks

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Extension Risk—The risk that during periods of rising interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans later than expected, preventing the Fund from reinvesting principal proceeds at higher interest rates and resulting in less income than potentially available.

· Prepayment Risk—The risk that during periods of falling interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, forcing the Fund to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates and resulting in a decline in income.

· Downgrade Risk—The risk that securities are subsequently downgraded should Advisors and/or rating agencies believe the issuer’s business outlook or creditworthiness has deteriorated.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Illiquid Investments Risk—The risk that illiquid investments may be difficult to sell for their fair market value, if at all, or at any price.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Past performance

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 1.17%.

Best quarter: 3.13%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -1.24%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Average Annual Returns TIAA-CREF Short-Term Bond Fund	1 Year	5 Years		Since Inception		Inception Date
Institutional Class	0.35%	3.42%		3.72%		Mar. 31, 2006
Retail Class	0.03%	3.17%		3.54%		Mar. 31, 2006
Retirement Class	0.10%	3.16%		3.48%		Mar. 31, 2006
Premier Class	0.20%	3.31%	[1]	3.65%	[1]	Sep. 30, 2009
After Taxes on Distributions Institutional Class	(0.34%)	2.55%		2.58%
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares Institutional Class	0.19%	2.33%		2.47%
Barclays U.S. 1-3 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)	0.64%	2.02%		3.30%	[2]
Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)	0.28%	2.86%		3.96%	[2]

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.65% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.55% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.45% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.30% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[1] The performance shown for the Premier Class that is prior to its inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

[2] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

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TIAA-CREF Bond Index Fund

TIAA-CREF Bond Index Fund

Investment objective

The Fund seeks a favorable long-term total return, mainly from current income, by primarily investing in a portfolio of fixed-income securities that is designed to produce a return that corresponds with the total return of the U.S. investment-grade bond market based on a broad bond index.

Fees and expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees TIAA-CREF Bond Index Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)	none	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge	none	none	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions	none	none	none	none
Redemption or Exchange Fee	none	none	none	none
Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)	15.00	none	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 TIAA-CREF Bond Index Fund		Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Management Fees		0.10%	0.10%	0.10%	0.10%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees		0.25%		0.15%
Other Expenses		0.14%	0.27%	0.02%	0.02%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.49%	0.37%	0.27%	0.12%
Waivers and Expense Reimbursements	[1]	(0.01%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement		0.48%	0.37%	0.27%	0.12%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example TIAA-CREF Bond Index Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
1 Year	49	38	28	12
3 Years	156	119	87	39
5 Years	273	208	152	68
10 Years	615	468	343	154

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 23% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds within its benchmark and portfolio tracking index, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the “Index”). The Fund uses a sampling technique to create a portfolio that closely matches the overall investment characteristics of the Index (for example, duration, sector diversification and credit quality) without investing in all of the securities in its index. At times the Fund may purchase securities not held in the Index, but which Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) believes have similar investment characteristics to securities held in its index. Generally, the Fund intends to invest in a wide spectrum of public, investment-grade, taxable debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars including government securities, as well as mortgage-backed, commercial mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed securities may include pass-through securities sold by private, governmental and government-related organizations and collateralized mortgage obligations, to the extent that such instruments are held by the Index. The Fund generally will invest in foreign securities denominated in U.S. dollars only to the extent they are included or eligible to be included in the Index. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

The securities purchased by the Fund will mainly be high-quality instruments rated in the top four credit categories by Moody’s or S&P or deemed to be of the same quality by Advisors using its own credit quality analysis. The Fund may continue to hold instruments that were rated as high-quality when purchased, but which subsequently are downgraded to below-investment-grade status or have their ratings withdrawn by one or more rating agencies.

Because the return of the Index is not reduced by investment and other operating expenses, the Fund’s ability to match the Index is negatively affected by the costs of buying and selling securities, as well as other fees and expenses. The use of this index by the Fund is not a fundamental policy of the Fund and may be changed without shareholder approval.

Principal investment risks

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Income Volatility Risk—The risk that the level of current income from a portfolio of fixed-income investments declines in certain interest rate environments.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Prepayment Risk—The risk that during periods of falling interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, forcing the Fund to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates and resulting in a decline in income.

· Extension Risk—The risk that during periods of rising interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans later than expected, preventing the Fund from reinvesting principal proceeds at higher interest rates and resulting in less income than potentially available.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Index Risk—The risk that the Fund’s performance will not correspond to its benchmark index for any period of time and may underperform such index or the overall stock market. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund’s investments vary from the composition of its benchmark index, the Fund’s performance could potentially vary from the index’s performance to a greater extent than if the Fund merely attempted to replicate the index.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Past performance

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 3.87%.

Best quarter: 3.75%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2011. Worst quarter: -2.41%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Average Annual Returns TIAA-CREF Bond Index Fund	1 Year	Since Inception		Inception Date
Institutional Class	(2.34%)	3.71%		Sep. 14, 2009
Retail Class	(2.68%)	3.35%		Sep. 14, 2009
Retirement Class	(2.58%)	3.45%		Sep. 14, 2009
Premier Class	(2.48%)	3.56%	[1]	Sep. 30, 2009
After Taxes on Distributions Institutional Class	(3.13%)	2.80%
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares Institutional Class	(1.31%)	2.53%
Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)	(2.02%)	3.98%	[2]

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.48% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.38% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.28% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.13% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[1] The performance shown for the Premier Class that is prior to its inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

[2] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

TIAA-CREF Short-Term Bond Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment objective

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks high current income.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and expenses

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

SHAREHOLDER FEES (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

2015-07-31

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 112% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

112.00%

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal investment strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in U.S. Treasury and agency securities and investment-grade fixed-income investments with an average maturity or average lives of less than 5 years. The Fund primarily invests in a broad range of investment-grade bonds and fixed-income securities, including, but not limited to, U.S. Government securities, corporate bonds and mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities. The Fund may also invest in other fixed-income securities, including those of non-investment grade quality. The Fund may overweight or underweight individual securities or sectors as compared to their weight in the index when the Fund’s Investment Adviser, Teacher’s Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) finds undervalued or overlooked issues that it believes offer the potential for superior returns. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

Effective January 1, 2014, the Fund’s benchmark index changed from the Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (the “Barclays 1-5 Year Index”) to the Barclays U.S. 1-3 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (the “Barclays 1-3 Year Index”). As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Barclays 1-5 Year Index was 2.68 years and the duration of the Barclays 1-3 Year Index was 1.94 years. Although the Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any maturity, the duration of the Fund’s portfolio typically ranges between one and three years. The Fund also has a policy of maintaining a dollar weighted average maturity of portfolio holdings of no more than three years.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies.

The Fund may invest in foreign securities, including emerging markets fixed-income securities and non-dollar denominated instruments. Under most circumstances, the Fund’s investments in fixed-income securities of foreign issuers constitute less than 20% of the Fund’s assets.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal investment risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Extension Risk—The risk that during periods of rising interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans later than expected, preventing the Fund from reinvesting principal proceeds at higher interest rates and resulting in less income than potentially available.

· Prepayment Risk—The risk that during periods of falling interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, forcing the Fund to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates and resulting in a decline in income.

· Downgrade Risk—The risk that securities are subsequently downgraded should Advisors and/or rating agencies believe the issuer’s business outlook or creditworthiness has deteriorated.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Illiquid Investments Risk—The risk that illiquid investments may be difficult to sell for their fair market value, if at all, or at any price.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Past performance

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year.

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.tiaa-cref.org

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

Bar Chart Footnotes [Text Block]

rr_BarChartFootnotesTextBlock

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 1.17%.

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

Best quarter: 3.13%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -1.24%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

Year to Date Return, Label

rr_YearToDateReturnLabel

The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2014

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn

1.17%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Best quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

3.13%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Worst quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2013

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(1.24%)

Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text]

rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes

(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

Caption

rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Thirty Day Yield Phone

rr_ThirtyDayYieldPhone

800 842-2252

Barclays U.S. 1-3 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.64%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

2.02%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.30%

^[1]

Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.28%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

2.86%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.96%

^[1]

Retail Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

$ 15.00

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.25%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.10%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.60%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.60%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

61

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

192

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

335

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

750

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.03%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

3.17%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.54%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Retirement Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.53%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.53%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

54

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

170

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

296

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

665

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.10%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

3.16%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.48%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Premier Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.25%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.15%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.43%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.43%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

44

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

138

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

241

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

542

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.20%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

3.31%

^[3]

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.65%

^[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Institutional Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

29

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

90

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

157

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

$ 356

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

5.29%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

2.55%

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

5.71%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

4.78%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

2.62%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

3.73%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

0.35%

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.35%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

3.42%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.72%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.34%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

2.55%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

2.58%

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.19%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

2.33%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

2.47%

[1] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

[2] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.65% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.55% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.45% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.30% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[3] The performance shown for the Premier Class that is prior to its inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

TIAA-CREF High-Yield Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment objective

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks high current income

Objective, Secondary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectiveSecondaryTextBlock

and, when consistent with its primary objective, capital appreciation.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and expenses

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

SHAREHOLDER FEES (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

2015-07-31

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 69% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

69.00%

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal investment strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund invests primarily in lower-rated, higher-yielding fixed-income securities, such as domestic and foreign corporate bonds, debentures, loan participations and assignments and notes, as well as convertible securities and preferred stocks. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in debt and other fixed-income securities rated lower than investment-grade (and their unrated equivalents) or other high-yielding debt securities. (These are often called “junk” bonds.) Most of these will be securities rated in the BB or B categories by S&P, or the Ba or B categories by Moody’s. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in the following types of instruments: payment-in-kind or deferred-interest obligations, defaulted securities, asset-backed securities, securities rated lower than B- or its equivalent by at least two rating agencies and securities having limited liquidity.

The Fund can make foreign investments, including investments in emerging market countries, but the Fund does not expect them to be over 20% of its assets. The Fund can have up to 15% of its assets in illiquid securities. The Fund can also invest in U.S. Treasury and agency securities or other short-term instruments when other suitable investment opportunities are not available, or when Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) would like to build the Fund’s liquidity.

Over long periods of time, a broadly diversified portfolio of lower-rated, higher-yielding securities is designed to, net of capital losses, provide a higher net return than a similarly diversified portfolio of higher-rated, lower-yielding securities of similar duration. Advisors attempts to minimize the risks of investing in lower-rated securities by:

· Doing its own credit analysis (independent of the rating agencies). The Fund buys securities of issuers with a balance of operational and financial risks that Advisors believes make it likely that such issuers will be able to meet their financial obligations;

· Constructing a portfolio of securities diversified by industry, maturity, duration and credit quality; and

· Buying or selling particular securities to seek to take advantage of anticipated changes and trends in the economy and financial markets.

Advisors’ judgment of the value of any particular security is a function of its experience with lower-rated securities, evaluation of general economic and securities market conditions and the financial condition of the security’s issuer. Under some market conditions, the Fund may sacrifice potential yield in order to adopt a defensive posture designed to preserve capital.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative securities and financial instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies.

The benchmark index for the Fund is the BofA Merrill Lynch BB-B U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Constrained Index.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal investment risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Emerging Markets Risk—The risk of foreign investment often increases in countries with emerging markets. For example, these countries may have more unstable governments than developed countries, and their economies may be based on only a few industries. Because their financial markets may be very small, share prices of financial instruments in emerging markets countries may be volatile and difficult to determine. Financial instruments of issuers in these countries may be less liquid than those of issuers in more developed countries. In addition, foreign investors such as the Fund are subject to a variety of special restrictions in many emerging markets countries.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Past performance

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year.

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.tiaa-cref.org

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

Bar Chart Footnotes [Text Block]

rr_BarChartFootnotesTextBlock

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 5.35%.

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

Best quarter: 17.76%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -12.70%, for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.

Year to Date Return, Label

rr_YearToDateReturnLabel

The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2014

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn

5.35%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Best quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

17.76%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Worst quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(12.70%)

Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text]

rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes

(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

Caption

rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Thirty Day Yield Phone

rr_ThirtyDayYieldPhone

800 842-2252

BofA Merrill Lynch BB-B U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Constrained Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

6.29%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.45%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

7.98%

^[1]

Retail Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

(2.00%)

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

$ 15.00

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.34%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.06%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.65%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.65%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

66

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

208

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

362

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

810

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

5.86%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.65%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

8.14%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Retirement Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

(2.00%)

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.34%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.62%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.62%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

63

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

199

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

346

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

774

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

5.89%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.63%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

8.04%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Premier Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

(2.00%)

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.34%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.15%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.52%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.52%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

53

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

167

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

291

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

653

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

6.00%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.77%

^[3]

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

8.23%

^[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Institutional Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

(2.00%)

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.34%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.37%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.37%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

38

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

119

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

208

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

$ 468

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

3.59%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(19.49%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

41.72%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

14.61%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

6.14%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

14.35%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

6.16%

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

6.16%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.92%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

8.32%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

2.91%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

12.81%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.40%

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

3.77%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

11.44%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.28%

[1] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

[2] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.75% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.65% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.55% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.40% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[3] The performance shown for the Premier Class that is prior to its inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

XML

TIAA-CREF Social Choice Bond Fund

TIAA-CREF Social Choice Bond Fund

Investment objective

The Fund seeks a favorable long-term total return through income and capital appreciation while giving special consideration to certain social criteria.

Fees and expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees TIAA-CREF Social Choice Bond Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)	none	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge	none	none	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions	none	none	none	none
Redemption or Exchange Fee	none	none	none	none
Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)	15.00	none	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 TIAA-CREF Social Choice Bond Fund		Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Management Fees		0.35%	0.35%	0.35%	0.35%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees		0.25%		0.15%
Other Expenses		0.32%	0.50%	0.25%	0.24%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.92%	0.85%	0.75%	0.59%
Waivers and Expense Reimbursements	[1]	(0.17%)	(0.20%)	(0.20%)	(0.19%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement		0.75%	0.65%	0.55%	0.40%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example TIAA-CREF Social Choice Bond Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
1 Year	77	66	56	41
3 Years	276	251	220	170
5 Years	493	452	397	310
10 Years	1,116	1,030	912	720

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 393% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds. For these purposes, bonds include fixed-income securities of all types. The Fund primarily invests in a broad range of investment-grade bonds and fixed-income securities, including, but not limited to, U.S. Government securities, corporate bonds, taxable municipal securities and mortgage-backed or other asset backed-securities. The Fund may also invest in other fixed-income securities, including those of non-investment grade quality. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration. As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Fund’s benchmark index, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, was 5.63 years. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

The Fund is actively managed and does not rely exclusively on rating agencies when making investment decisions. Instead, the Fund’s investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) performs its own credit analysis, paying particular attention to economic trends and other market events. Subject to the environmental, social and governance criteria (“ESG”) described below, individual securities or sectors are then overweighted or underweighted relative to the Fund’s benchmark index, when Advisors believes that the Fund can take advantage of what appear to be undervalued, overlooked or misunderstood issuers that offer the potential to boost returns above that of the index.

The Fund’s investments in fixed-income securities issued by corporate entities or certain foreign governments are subject to certain ESG criteria. The research vendor currently providing the ESG performance evaluation is MSCI, Inc. (“MSCI”). All corporate issuers must meet or exceed minimum ESG performance standards to be eligible for investment by the Fund. The evaluation process favors companies with leadership in ESG performance relative to their peers. Typically, environmental assessment categories include climate change, natural resource use, waste management and environmental opportunities. Social evaluation categories include human capital, product safety and social opportunities. Governance assessment categories include corporate governance, business ethics and government & public policy. How well companies adhere to international norms and principles and involvement in major ESG controversies (within environment, customers, human rights & community, labor rights & supply chain, and governance) are other considerations.

The ESG evaluation process is conducted on an industry-specific basis and involves the identification of key performance indicators, which are given more or less relative weight compared to the broader range of potential assessment categories. Concerns in one area do not automatically eliminate an issuer from being an eligible Fund investment. When ESG concerns exist, the evaluation process gives careful consideration to how companies address the risks and opportunities they face in the context of their sector or industry and relative to their peers. The social and environmental impact of corporate activities related to the production and sale of alcohol, tobacco, military weapons, firearms, nuclear power and gambling products and services are quantified and incorporated into a corporate issuer’s overall ESG performance assessment. While not automatically excluded from the Fund, most corporate issuers involved in these industries are ineligible for inclusion in the Fund due to their poor overall ESG performance. While Advisors may invest in corporate and foreign government issuers that meet these criteria, it is not required to invest in every issuer that meets these criteria. The ESG criteria the Fund takes into consideration are non-fundamental investment policies. Such criteria and the universe of investments that the Fund utilizes may be changed without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders.

The Fund is not restricted from investing in any securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities. Advisors considers investments in these securities to be consistent with the Fund’s investment and social objectives.

The Fund also invests in certain asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities and other securities that represent interests in assets such as pools of mortgage loans, automobile loans or credit card receivables. These securities are typically issued by legal entities established specifically to hold assets and to issue debt obligations backed by those assets. Asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities are normally created or “sponsored” by banks or other institutions or by certain government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Advisors does not take into consideration whether the sponsor of an asset-backed security in which the Fund invests meets the ESG criteria. That is because asset-backed securities represent interests in pools of loans, and not of the ongoing business enterprise of the sponsor. It is therefore possible that the Fund could invest in an asset-backed or mortgage-backed security sponsored by a bank or other financial institution in which the Fund could not invest directly.

The Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed securities can include pass-through securities sold by private, governmental and government-related organizations and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”). Mortgage pass-through securities are created when mortgages are pooled together and interests in the pool are sold to investors. The cash flow from the underlying mortgages is “passed through” to investors in periodic principal and interest payments. CMOs are obligations that are fully collateralized directly or indirectly by a pool of mortgages from which payments of principal and interest are dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on the CMO.

The Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Committee (the “CGSR Committee”) of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (“Board of Trustees”) reviews the ESG criteria used to evaluate securities issued by corporate and foreign government issuers held by the Fund and approves the vendor of that service. Advisors seeks to ensure that the Fund’s investments in securities issued by corporate and foreign government issuers are consistent with its ESG criteria, but Advisors cannot guarantee that this will always be the case for every Fund investment issued by a corporate entity or by a foreign government or agency. Consistent with its responsibilities, the CGSR Committee evaluates options for implementing the Fund’s ESG investment criteria and monitors the ESG vendors selected to supply the ESG-eligible universe. Advisors has the right to change the ESG vendor(s) at any time and to add to the number of vendors providing the universe of eligible companies. Investing on the basis of ESG criteria is qualitative and subjective by nature, and there can be no assurance that the ESG criteria utilized by the Fund’s ESG vendor(s) or any judgment exercised by the CGSR Committee or Advisors will reflect the beliefs or values of any particular investor.

Additionally, Advisors invests a portion of the Fund’s assets in fixed-income instruments that reflect proactive social investments. As of March 31, 2014, these investments were 24.9% of the portfolio. These investments provide direct exposure to socially beneficial issuers and/or individual projects. Within this proactive social investments allocation, the Fund seeks opportunities to invest in publicly traded fixed-income securities that finance initiatives in areas including affordable housing, community and economic development, renewable energy and climate change, and natural resources. These investments will be selected based on the same financial criteria used by Advisors in selecting the Fund’s other fixed-income investments.

The Fund may also use a trading technique called “mortgage rolls” or “dollar rolls” in which the Fund “rolls over” an investment in a mortgage-backed security before its settlement date in exchange for a similar security with a later settlement date.

The Fund may also engage in relative value trading, a strategy in which the Fund reallocates assets across different sectors and maturities. Relative value trading is designed to enhance the Fund’s returns but increases the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies. The Fund may also invest in foreign securities, including emerging markets fixed-income securities and non-dollar denominated instruments. Under most circumstances, the Fund’s investments in fixed-income securities of foreign issuers constitute less than 20% of the Fund’s assets.

Principal investment risks

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund's portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Social Criteria Risk—The risk that because the Fund’s social criteria exclude securities of certain issuers for nonfinancial reasons, the Fund may forgo some market opportunities available to funds that don’t use these criteria.

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Prepayment Risk—The risk that during periods of falling interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, forcing the Fund to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates and resulting in a decline in income.

· Extension Risk—The risk that during periods of rising interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans later than expected, preventing the Fund from reinvesting principal proceeds at higher interest rates and resulting in less income than potentially available.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Income Volatility Risk—The risk that the level of current income from a portfolio of fixed-income investments declines in certain interest rate environments.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Mortgage Roll Risk—The risk that Advisors will not correctly predict mortgage prepayments and interest rates, which will diminish the Fund’s performance.

· Downgrade Risk—The risk that securities are subsequently downgraded should Advisors and/or rating agencies believe the issuer’s business outlook or creditworthiness has deteriorated.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Illiquid Investments Risk—The risk that illiquid investments may be difficult to sell for their fair market value, if at all, or at any price.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Past performance

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class will vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 5.64%.

Best quarter: 0.93%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2013. Worst quarter: -2.54%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Average Annual Returns TIAA-CREF Social Choice Bond Fund	1 Year	Since Inception		Inception Date
Institutional Class	(1.27%)	none		Sep. 21, 2012
Retail Class	(1.60%)	(0.34%)		Sep. 21, 2012
Retirement Class	(1.51%)	(0.25%)		Sep. 21, 2012
Premier Class	(1.41%)	(0.15%)		Sep. 21, 2012
After Taxes on Distributions Institutional Class	(1.97%)	(0.77%)
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares Institutional Class	(0.72%)	(0.32%)
Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)	(2.02%)	(1.16%)	[1]

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.75% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.65% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.55% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.40% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

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TIAA-CREF Inflation-Linked Bond Fund

TIAA-CREF Inflation-Linked Bond Fund

Investment objective

The Fund seeks a long-term rate of return that outpaces inflation, primarily through investment in inflation-linked bonds.

Fees and expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees TIAA-CREF Inflation-Linked Bond Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)	none	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge	none	none	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions	none	none	none	none
Redemption or Exchange Fee	none	none	none	none
Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)	15.00	none	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 TIAA-CREF Inflation-Linked Bond Fund		Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Management Fees		0.25%	0.25%	0.25%	0.25%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees		0.25%		0.15%
Other Expenses		0.09%	0.27%	0.02%	0.02%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.59%	0.52%	0.42%	0.27%
Waivers and Expense Reimbursements	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement		0.59%	0.52%	0.42%	0.27%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example TIAA-CREF Inflation-Linked Bond Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
1 Year	60	53	43	28
3 Years	189	167	135	87
5 Years	329	291	235	152
10 Years	738	653	530	343

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 10% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in fixed-income securities whose principal value increases or decreases based on changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (“CPI-U”), over the life of the security. Typically, the Fund will invest in U.S. Treasury Inflation-Indexed Securities (“TIIS”). The Fund can also invest in (1) other inflation-indexed bonds issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies, by corporations and other U.S. domiciled issuers, as well as foreign governments, and (2) money market instruments or other short-term securities. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

Like conventional bonds, inflation-indexed bonds generally pay interest at fixed intervals and return the principal at maturity. Unlike conventional bonds, an inflation-indexed bond’s principal or interest is adjusted periodically to reflect changes in a specified inflation index. Inflation-indexed bonds are designed to preserve purchasing power over the life of the bond while paying a “real” rate of interest (i.e., a return over and above the inflation rate). These bonds are generally issued at a fixed interest rate that is lower than that of conventional bonds of comparable maturity and quality, but they generally retain their value against inflation over time.

The principal amount of a TIIS bond is adjusted periodically for inflation using the CPI-U. Interest is paid twice a year. The interest rate is fixed, but the amount of each interest payment varies as the principal is adjusted for inflation. The principal amount of a TIIS instrument may diminish in times of deflation. However, the U.S. Treasury guarantees that the final principal payment at maturity is at least the original principal amount of the bond. The interest and principal components of the bonds may be “stripped” or sold separately. The Fund can buy or sell either component.

The Fund may also invest in inflation-indexed bonds issued or guaranteed by foreign governments and their agencies, as well as other foreign issuers. These investments are usually designed to track the inflation rate in the issuing country. Under most circumstances, the Fund’s investments in inflation-linked bonds of foreign issuers are generally less than 20% of its assets.

The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration. As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Fund’s benchmark, the Barclays U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index (Series-L), was 7.94 years. Typically, the Fund invests in corporate and foreign inflation-indexed bonds that are similar in duration and maturity as those of U.S. Government inflation-indexed bonds.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies. The Fund also may invest in any fixed-income securities provided that no more than 5% of its assets are invested in fixed-income securities rated below investment-grade.

Principal investment risks

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Special Risks for Inflation-Indexed Bonds—The risk that interest payments on, or market values of, inflation-indexed investments decline because of a decline in inflation (or deflation) or changes in investors’ and/or the market’s inflation expectations. In addition, inflation indices may not reflect the true rate of inflation.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Past performance

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year for the last ten years. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 5.67%.

Best quarter: 5.32%, for the quarter ended March 31, 2008. Worst quarter: -7.01%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Average Annual Returns TIAA-CREF Inflation-Linked Bond Fund	1 Year	5 Years		10 Years		Inception Date
Institutional Class	(8.75%)	5.07%		4.56%		Oct. 01, 2002
Retail Class	(9.08%)	4.82%		4.37%		Oct. 01, 2002
Retirement Class	(9.01%)	4.81%		4.38%	[1]	Mar. 31, 2006
Premier Class	(8.95%)	4.92%	[1]	4.48%	[1]	Sep. 30, 2009
After Taxes on Distributions Institutional Class	(9.29%)	4.25%		3.24%
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares Institutional Class	(4.94%)	3.67%		3.10%
Barclays U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index (Series-L) (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)	(8.61%)	5.63%		4.85%

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.70% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.60% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.50% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.35% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[1] The performance shown for the Retirement Class and Premier Class that is prior to their inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Retirement Class and Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

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Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

TIAA-CREF Bond Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment objective

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks as favorable a long-term total return through income, primarily from investment-grade fixed-income securities.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and expenses

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

SHAREHOLDER FEES (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

2015-07-31

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 307% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

307.00%

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal investment strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds. For these purposes, bonds include fixed-income securities of all types. The Fund primarily invests in a broad range of investment-grade bonds and fixed-income securities, including, but not limited to, U.S. Government securities, corporate bonds and mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities. The Fund may also invest in other fixed-income securities, including those of non-investment grade quality. The Fund does not rely exclusively on rating agencies when making investment decisions. Instead, the Fund’s investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”), performs its own credit analysis, paying particular attention to economic trends and other market events. Individual securities or sectors are then overweighted or underweighted relative to the Fund’s benchmark index, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, when Advisors believes that the Fund can take advantage of what appear to be undervalued, overlooked or misunderstood issuers that offer the potential to boost returns above that of the index. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration. As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Fund’s benchmark index was 5.63 years.

The Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed securities can include pass-through securities sold by private, governmental and government-related organizations and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”). Mortgage pass-through securities are created when mortgages are pooled together and interests in the pool are sold to investors. The cash flow from the underlying mortgages is “passed through” to investors in periodic principal and interest payments. CMOs are obligations that are fully collateralized directly or indirectly by a pool of mortgages from which payments of principal and interest are dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on the CMO.

The Fund may use an investment strategy called “mortgage rolls” (also referred to as “dollar rolls”), in which the Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with a counterparty to repurchase similar (same type, coupon and maturity) but not identical securities on a specified future date. The Fund loses the right to receive principal and interest paid on the securities sold. However, the Fund would benefit to the extent of any price received for the securities sold and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”) plus the interest earned on the short-term investment awaiting the settlement date of the forward purchase. If such benefits exceed the income and gain or loss due to mortgage repayments that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of the mortgage roll, the use of this technique will enhance the investment performance of the Fund compared with what such performance would have been without the use of mortgage rolls. Realizing benefits from the use of mortgage rolls depends upon the ability of Advisors to predict correctly mortgage prepayments and interest rates.

The Fund may also engage in relative value trading, a strategy in which the Fund reallocates assets across different sectors and maturities. Relative value trading is designed to enhance the Fund’s returns but increases the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies. The Fund may also invest in foreign securities, including emerging markets fixed-income securities and non-dollar denominated instruments. Under most circumstances, the Fund’s investments in fixed-income securities of foreign issuers constitute less than 20% of the Fund’s assets.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal investment risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Prepayment Risk—The risk that during periods of falling interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, forcing the Fund to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates and resulting in a decline in income.

· Extension Risk—The risk that during periods of rising interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans later than expected, preventing the Fund from reinvesting principal proceeds at higher interest rates and resulting in less income than potentially available.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Income Volatility Risk—The risk that the level of current income from a portfolio of fixed-income investments declines in certain interest rate environments.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Mortgage Roll Risk—The risk that Advisors will not correctly predict mortgage prepayments and interest rates, which will diminish the Fund’s performance.

· Downgrade Risk—The risk that securities are subsequently downgraded should Advisors and/or rating agencies believe the issuer’s business outlook or creditworthiness has deteriorated.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Illiquid Investments Risk—The risk that illiquid investments may be difficult to sell for their fair market value, if at all, or at any price.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

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Past performance

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year for the last ten years. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year.

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.tiaa-cref.org

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

Bar Chart Footnotes [Text Block]

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^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 4.37%.

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

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Best quarter: 4.14%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -2.83%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

Year to Date Return, Label

rr_YearToDateReturnLabel

The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2014

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn

4.37%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Best quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

4.14%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Worst quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2013

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(2.83%)

Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text]

rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes

(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

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Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

Caption

rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Thirty Day Yield Phone

rr_ThirtyDayYieldPhone

800 842-2252

Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.02%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.44%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

4.55%

Retail Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

$ 15.00

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.29%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.09%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.63%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.63%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

64

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

202

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

351

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

786

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.44%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.96%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

4.44%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Retirement Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.29%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.57%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.57%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

58

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

183

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

318

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

714

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.37%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.96%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

4.40%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Premier Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.29%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.15%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.47%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.47%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

48

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

151

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

263

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

591

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.23%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.12%

^[2]

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

4.55%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Institutional Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.29%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.32%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.32%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

33

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

103

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

180

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

$ 406

Annual Return 2004

rr_AnnualReturn2004

4.29%

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

2.37%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

4.11%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

6.28%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

2.93%

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

6.47%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

6.96%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

6.73%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

7.34%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

(1.09%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.09%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.23%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

4.61%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jul. 01, 1999

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.35%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

3.69%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

3.01%

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.51%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

3.56%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

3.01%

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.70% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.60% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.50% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.35% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[2] The performance shown for the Retail, Retirement and Premier Classes that is prior to their inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Retail, Retirement and Premier Classes. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Aug. 01, 2014

XML

TIAA-CREF Bond Fund

TIAA-CREF Bond Fund

Investment objective

The Fund seeks as favorable a long-term total return through income, primarily from investment-grade fixed-income securities.

Fees and expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees TIAA-CREF Bond Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)	none	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge	none	none	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions	none	none	none	none
Redemption or Exchange Fee	none	none	none	none
Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)	15.00	none	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 TIAA-CREF Bond Fund		Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Management Fees		0.29%	0.29%	0.29%	0.29%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees		0.25%		0.15%
Other Expenses		0.09%	0.28%	0.03%	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.63%	0.57%	0.47%	0.32%
Waivers and Expense Reimbursements	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement		0.63%	0.57%	0.47%	0.32%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example TIAA-CREF Bond Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
1 Year	64	58	48	33
3 Years	202	183	151	103
5 Years	351	318	263	180
10 Years	786	714	591	406

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 307% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds. For these purposes, bonds include fixed-income securities of all types. The Fund primarily invests in a broad range of investment-grade bonds and fixed-income securities, including, but not limited to, U.S. Government securities, corporate bonds and mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities. The Fund may also invest in other fixed-income securities, including those of non-investment grade quality. The Fund does not rely exclusively on rating agencies when making investment decisions. Instead, the Fund’s investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”), performs its own credit analysis, paying particular attention to economic trends and other market events. Individual securities or sectors are then overweighted or underweighted relative to the Fund’s benchmark index, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, when Advisors believes that the Fund can take advantage of what appear to be undervalued, overlooked or misunderstood issuers that offer the potential to boost returns above that of the index. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration. As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Fund’s benchmark index was 5.63 years.

The Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed securities can include pass-through securities sold by private, governmental and government-related organizations and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”). Mortgage pass-through securities are created when mortgages are pooled together and interests in the pool are sold to investors. The cash flow from the underlying mortgages is “passed through” to investors in periodic principal and interest payments. CMOs are obligations that are fully collateralized directly or indirectly by a pool of mortgages from which payments of principal and interest are dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on the CMO.

The Fund may use an investment strategy called “mortgage rolls” (also referred to as “dollar rolls”), in which the Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with a counterparty to repurchase similar (same type, coupon and maturity) but not identical securities on a specified future date. The Fund loses the right to receive principal and interest paid on the securities sold. However, the Fund would benefit to the extent of any price received for the securities sold and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”) plus the interest earned on the short-term investment awaiting the settlement date of the forward purchase. If such benefits exceed the income and gain or loss due to mortgage repayments that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of the mortgage roll, the use of this technique will enhance the investment performance of the Fund compared with what such performance would have been without the use of mortgage rolls. Realizing benefits from the use of mortgage rolls depends upon the ability of Advisors to predict correctly mortgage prepayments and interest rates.

The Fund may also engage in relative value trading, a strategy in which the Fund reallocates assets across different sectors and maturities. Relative value trading is designed to enhance the Fund’s returns but increases the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies. The Fund may also invest in foreign securities, including emerging markets fixed-income securities and non-dollar denominated instruments. Under most circumstances, the Fund’s investments in fixed-income securities of foreign issuers constitute less than 20% of the Fund’s assets.

Principal investment risks

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Prepayment Risk—The risk that during periods of falling interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, forcing the Fund to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates and resulting in a decline in income.

· Extension Risk—The risk that during periods of rising interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans later than expected, preventing the Fund from reinvesting principal proceeds at higher interest rates and resulting in less income than potentially available.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Income Volatility Risk—The risk that the level of current income from a portfolio of fixed-income investments declines in certain interest rate environments.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Mortgage Roll Risk—The risk that Advisors will not correctly predict mortgage prepayments and interest rates, which will diminish the Fund’s performance.

· Downgrade Risk—The risk that securities are subsequently downgraded should Advisors and/or rating agencies believe the issuer’s business outlook or creditworthiness has deteriorated.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Illiquid Investments Risk—The risk that illiquid investments may be difficult to sell for their fair market value, if at all, or at any price.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Past performance

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year for the last ten years. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 4.37%.

Best quarter: 4.14%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -2.83%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Average Annual Returns TIAA-CREF Bond Fund	1 Year	5 Years		10 Years		Inception Date
Institutional Class	(1.09%)	5.23%		4.61%		Jul. 01, 1999
Retail Class	(1.44%)	4.96%		4.44%	[1]	Mar. 31, 2006
Retirement Class	(1.37%)	4.96%		4.40%	[1]	Mar. 31, 2006
Premier Class	(1.23%)	5.12%	[1]	4.55%	[1]	Sep. 30, 2009
After Taxes on Distributions Institutional Class	(2.35%)	3.69%		3.01%
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares Institutional Class	(0.51%)	3.56%		3.01%
Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)	(2.02%)	4.44%		4.55%

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.70% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.60% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.50% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.35% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[1] The performance shown for the Retail, Retirement and Premier Classes that is prior to their inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Retail, Retirement and Premier Classes. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

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TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund

TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund

Investment objective

The Fund seeks to obtain a favorable long-term total return through both capital appreciation and current income, by investing primarily in equity securities of companies principally engaged in or related to the real estate industry.

Fees and expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)	none	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge	none	none	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions	none	none	none	none
Redemption or Exchange Fee	none	none	none	none
Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)	15.00	none	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 TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund		Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Management Fees		0.50%	0.50%	0.50%	0.50%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees		0.25%		0.15%
Other Expenses		0.11%	0.27%	0.02%	0.02%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.86%	0.77%	0.67%	0.52%
Waivers and Expense Reimbursements	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement		0.86%	0.77%	0.67%	0.52%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
1 Year	88	79	68	53
3 Years	274	246	214	167
5 Years	477	428	373	291
10 Years	1,061	954	835	653

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 65% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the securities of companies that are principally engaged in or related to the real estate industry (“real estate securities”), including those that own significant real estate assets, such as real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund will invest primarily in equity securities of such companies. The Fund is actively managed using a research-oriented process with a focus on cash flows, asset values and Teachers Advisors, Inc.’s (“Advisors”) belief in management’s ability to increase shareholder value. The Fund does not invest directly in real estate. The Fund concentrates its investments in the real estate industry. From time to time, the Fund may also invest in debt securities of companies principally engaged in or related to the real estate industry. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

An issuer is principally “engaged in” or principally “related to” the real estate industry if at least 50% of its assets, gross income or net profits are attributable to ownership, construction, management or sale of residential, commercial or industrial real estate, or to products or services related to the real estate industry. The Fund typically invests in securities issued by equity REITs (which directly own real estate), mortgage REITs (which make short-term construction or real estate development loans or invest in long-term mortgages or mortgage pools), real estate brokers and developers, homebuilders, companies that manage real estate and companies that own substantial amounts of real estate. Businesses related to the real estate industry include manufacturers and distributors of building supplies and financial institutions that make or service mortgage loans.

The Fund also may invest up to 15% of its assets in real estate securities of foreign issuers and up to 20% of its assets in equity (including preferred stock) and debt securities of issuers that are not engaged in or related to the real estate industry. The benchmark index for the Fund is the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REITs Index.

Principal investment risks

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Real Estate Investing Risk—As a result of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund is subject to all of the risks associated with the ownership of real estate. These risks include, among others, declines in the value of real estate, negative changes in the climate for real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, decreases in property revenues, increases in prevailing interest rates, property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws and costs resulting from the cleanup of environmental problems.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Market Risk—The risk that market prices of portfolio investments held by the Fund may fall rapidly or unpredictably due to a variety of factors, including changing economic, political or market conditions. Market risk may affect a single issuer, industry or sector of the economy, or it may affect the market as a whole.

· Foreign Investment Risk—Foreign markets can be more volatile than the U.S. market due to increased risks of adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments and can result in greater price volatility and perform differently from financial instruments of U.S. issuers. This risk may be heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Industry Concentration Risk—Because the Fund concentrates its investments in only one industry and holds securities of relatively few issuers, the value of its portfolio is likely to experience greater fluctuations and may be subject to greater risk than those of other funds.

· Mid-Cap Risk—The risk that the stocks of mid-capitalization companies often experience greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than the stocks of larger, more established companies.

· Small-Cap Risk—The risk that the stocks of small-capitalization companies often experience greater price volatility than large- or mid-sized companies because small-cap companies are often newer or less established than larger companies and are likely to have more limited resources, products and markets. Securities of small-cap companies are often less liquid than securities of larger companies as a result of there being a smaller market for their securities.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Past performance

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year for the last ten years. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 15.33%.

Best quarter: 31.84%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -37.54%, for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Average Annual Returns TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund	1 Year	5 Years		10 Years		Inception Date
Institutional Class	1.71%	16.28%		7.52%		Oct. 01, 2002
Retail Class	1.28%	15.93%		7.32%		Oct. 01, 2002
Retirement Class	1.39%	15.98%		7.30%		Oct. 01, 2002
Premier Class	1.47%	16.13%	[1]	7.45%	[1]	Sep. 30, 2009
After Taxes on Distributions Institutional Class	0.41%	15.33%		5.48%
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares Institutional Class	1.23%	12.74%		5.41%
FTSE NAREIT All Equity REITs Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)	2.86%	16.90%		8.61%

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.96% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.82% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.72% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.57% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[1] The performance shown for the Premier Class that is prior to its inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

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Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

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Risk/Return [Heading]

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TIAA-CREF Bond Plus Fund

Objective [Heading]

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Investment objective

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

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The Fund seeks a favorable long-term total return, primarily through high current income.

Expense [Heading]

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Fees and expenses

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

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This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

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SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

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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

2015-07-31

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

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Portfolio turnover

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

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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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 290% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

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290.00%

Expense Example [Heading]

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Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

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This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

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Principal investment strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

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Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds. For these purposes, bonds include fixed-income securities of all types. The Fund’s portfolio is divided into two segments. The first segment, which makes up at least 70% of the Fund’s assets, is invested primarily in a broad range of investment-grade bonds and fixed-income securities, including, but not limited to, corporate bonds, U.S. Treasury and agency securities and mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The securities within the Fund’s first segment are mainly high-quality instruments rated in the top four credit categories by Moody’s or S&P, or deemed to be of the same quality by Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) using its own credit analysis. The second segment, which will not exceed 30% of the Fund’s assets, is invested in fixed-income securities and bonds with special features in an effort to improve the Fund’s total return. Potential investments in this segment include, but are not limited to, non-investment-grade securities (those rated Ba1 or lower by Moody’s or BB+ or lower by S&P), emerging market fixed-income securities and convertible and preferred securities. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration. As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Fund’s benchmark index, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, was 5.63 years.

The Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed securities can include pass-through securities sold by private, governmental and government-related organizations and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”). Mortgage pass-through securities are created when mortgages are pooled together and interests in the pool are sold to investors. The cash flow from the underlying mortgages is “passed through” to investors in periodic principal and interest payments. CMOs are obligations that are fully collateralized directly or indirectly by a pool of mortgages from which payments of principal and interest are dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on the CMO.

The Fund may use an investment strategy called “mortgage rolls” (also referred to as “dollar rolls”), in which the Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with a counterparty to repurchase similar (same type, coupon and maturity) but not identical securities on a specified future date. The Fund loses the right to receive principal and interest paid on the securities sold. However, the Fund would benefit to the extent of any price received for the securities sold and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”) plus the interest earned on the short-term investment awaiting the settlement date of the forward purchase. If such benefits exceed the income and gain or loss due to mortgage repayments that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of the mortgage roll, the use of this technique will enhance the investment performance of the Fund compared with what such performance would have been without the use of mortgage rolls. Realizing benefits from the use of mortgage rolls depends upon the ability of Advisors to predict correctly mortgage prepayments and interest rates.

The Fund may also engage in relative value trading, a strategy in which the Fund reallocates assets across different sectors and maturities. Relative value trading is designed to enhance the Fund’s returns but increases the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative securities and financial instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies.

The Fund can also invest in foreign securities, including emerging market fixed-income securities and non-dollar-denominated instruments, but Advisors does not expect them to exceed 20% of the Fund’s assets. No more than 15% of the Fund’s assets can be invested in illiquid securities.

Risk [Heading]

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Principal investment risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

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You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Prepayment Risk—The risk that during periods of falling interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, forcing the Fund to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates and resulting in a decline in income.

· Extension Risk—The risk that during periods of rising interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans later than expected, preventing the Fund from reinvesting principal proceeds at higher interest rates and resulting in less income than potentially available.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Income Volatility Risk—The risk that the level of current income from a portfolio of fixed-income investments declines in certain interest rate environments.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Mortgage Roll Risk—The risk that Advisors will not correctly predict mortgage prepayments and interest rates, which will diminish the Fund’s performance.

· Downgrade Risk—The risk that securities are subsequently downgraded should Advisors and/or rating agencies believe the issuer’s business outlook or creditworthiness has deteriorated.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Illiquid Investments Risk—The risk that illiquid investments may be difficult to sell for their fair market value, if at all, or at any price.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

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You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

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Past performance

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

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The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class will vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

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The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year.

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

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www.tiaa-cref.org

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

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Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

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ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

Bar Chart Footnotes [Text Block]

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^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 4.50%.

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

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Best quarter: 5.36%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -2.59%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

Year to Date Return, Label

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The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2014

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn

4.50%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Best quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

5.36%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Worst quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2013

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(2.59%)

Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text]

rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes

(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

Caption

rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Thirty Day Yield Phone

rr_ThirtyDayYieldPhone

800 842-2252

Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.02%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.44%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.09%

^[1]

Retail Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

$ 15.00

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.30%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.12%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.67%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.67%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

68

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

214

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

373

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

835

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.01%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

6.33%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.96%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Retirement Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.30%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.58%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.58%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

59

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

186

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

324

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

726

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.93%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

6.34%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.92%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Premier Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.30%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.15%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.48%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.48%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

49

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

154

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

269

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

604

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.93%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

6.45%

^[3]

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.07%

^[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Institutional Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.30%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.33%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.33%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

34

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

106

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

185

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

$ 418

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

4.95%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(2.41%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

10.32%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

8.47%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

6.85%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

8.45%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

(0.68%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.68%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

6.61%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.17%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.93%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.05%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.52%

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.32%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.58%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.39%

[1] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

[2] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.70% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.60% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.50% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.35% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[3] The performance shown for the Premier Class that is prior to its inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

TIAA-CREF Inflation-Linked Bond Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment objective

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks a long-term rate of return that outpaces inflation, primarily through investment in inflation-linked bonds.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and expenses

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

SHAREHOLDER FEES (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

2015-07-31

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 10% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

10.00%

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal investment strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in fixed-income securities whose principal value increases or decreases based on changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (“CPI-U”), over the life of the security. Typically, the Fund will invest in U.S. Treasury Inflation-Indexed Securities (“TIIS”). The Fund can also invest in (1) other inflation-indexed bonds issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies, by corporations and other U.S. domiciled issuers, as well as foreign governments, and (2) money market instruments or other short-term securities. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

Like conventional bonds, inflation-indexed bonds generally pay interest at fixed intervals and return the principal at maturity. Unlike conventional bonds, an inflation-indexed bond’s principal or interest is adjusted periodically to reflect changes in a specified inflation index. Inflation-indexed bonds are designed to preserve purchasing power over the life of the bond while paying a “real” rate of interest (i.e., a return over and above the inflation rate). These bonds are generally issued at a fixed interest rate that is lower than that of conventional bonds of comparable maturity and quality, but they generally retain their value against inflation over time.

The principal amount of a TIIS bond is adjusted periodically for inflation using the CPI-U. Interest is paid twice a year. The interest rate is fixed, but the amount of each interest payment varies as the principal is adjusted for inflation. The principal amount of a TIIS instrument may diminish in times of deflation. However, the U.S. Treasury guarantees that the final principal payment at maturity is at least the original principal amount of the bond. The interest and principal components of the bonds may be “stripped” or sold separately. The Fund can buy or sell either component.

The Fund may also invest in inflation-indexed bonds issued or guaranteed by foreign governments and their agencies, as well as other foreign issuers. These investments are usually designed to track the inflation rate in the issuing country. Under most circumstances, the Fund’s investments in inflation-linked bonds of foreign issuers are generally less than 20% of its assets.

The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration. As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Fund’s benchmark, the Barclays U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index (Series-L), was 7.94 years. Typically, the Fund invests in corporate and foreign inflation-indexed bonds that are similar in duration and maturity as those of U.S. Government inflation-indexed bonds.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies. The Fund also may invest in any fixed-income securities provided that no more than 5% of its assets are invested in fixed-income securities rated below investment-grade.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal investment risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Special Risks for Inflation-Indexed Bonds—The risk that interest payments on, or market values of, inflation-indexed investments decline because of a decline in inflation (or deflation) or changes in investors’ and/or the market’s inflation expectations. In addition, inflation indices may not reflect the true rate of inflation.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Past performance

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year for the last ten years. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year.

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.tiaa-cref.org

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

Bar Chart Footnotes [Text Block]

rr_BarChartFootnotesTextBlock

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 5.67%.

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

Best quarter: 5.32%, for the quarter ended March 31, 2008. Worst quarter: -7.01%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

Year to Date Return, Label

rr_YearToDateReturnLabel

The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2014

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn

5.67%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Best quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Mar. 31, 2008

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

5.32%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Worst quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2013

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(7.01%)

Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text]

rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes

(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

Caption

rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Thirty Day Yield Phone

rr_ThirtyDayYieldPhone

800 842-2252

Barclays U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index (Series-L) (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(8.61%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.63%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

4.85%

Retail Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

$ 15.00

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.25%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.09%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.59%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.59%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

60

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

189

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

329

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

738

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(9.08%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.82%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

4.37%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Oct. 01, 2002

Retirement Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.27%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.52%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.52%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

53

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

167

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

291

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

653

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(9.01%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.81%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

4.38%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

Premier Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.25%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.15%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.02%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.42%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.42%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

43

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

135

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

235

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

530

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(8.95%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.92%

^[2]

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

4.48%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Institutional Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.02%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.27%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.27%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

28

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

87

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

152

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

$ 343

Annual Return 2004

rr_AnnualReturn2004

8.27%

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

2.71%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

0.21%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

11.20%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(1.59%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

9.54%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

6.11%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

13.34%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

6.51%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

(8.75%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(8.75%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.07%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

4.56%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Oct. 01, 2002

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(9.29%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.25%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

3.24%

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(4.94%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

3.67%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

3.10%

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.70% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.60% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.50% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.35% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[2] The performance shown for the Retirement Class and Premier Class that is prior to their inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Retirement Class and Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

XML

Document and Entity Information	0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Risk/Return:
Document Type	485BPOS
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2014
Registrant Name	TIAA-CREF FUNDS
Central Index Key	0001084380
Amendment Flag	false
Document Creation Date	Jul. 28, 2014
Document Effective Date	Aug. 01, 2014
Prospectus Date	Aug. 01, 2014

XML

TIAA-CREF High-Yield Fund

TIAA-CREF High-Yield Fund

Investment objective

The Fund seeks high current income

and, when consistent with its primary objective, capital appreciation.

Fees and expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees TIAA-CREF High-Yield Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)	none	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge	none	none	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions	none	none	none	none
Redemption or Exchange Fee (on shares held less than 60 days)	2.00%	2.00%	2.00%	2.00%
Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)	15.00	none	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 TIAA-CREF High-Yield Fund		Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Management Fees		0.34%	0.34%	0.34%	0.34%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees		0.25%		0.15%
Other Expenses		0.06%	0.28%	0.03%	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.65%	0.62%	0.52%	0.37%
Waivers and Expense Reimbursements	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement		0.65%	0.62%	0.52%	0.37%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example TIAA-CREF High-Yield Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
1 Year	66	63	53	38
3 Years	208	199	167	119
5 Years	362	346	291	208
10 Years	810	774	653	468

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 69% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

The Fund invests primarily in lower-rated, higher-yielding fixed-income securities, such as domestic and foreign corporate bonds, debentures, loan participations and assignments and notes, as well as convertible securities and preferred stocks. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in debt and other fixed-income securities rated lower than investment-grade (and their unrated equivalents) or other high-yielding debt securities. (These are often called “junk” bonds.) Most of these will be securities rated in the BB or B categories by S&P, or the Ba or B categories by Moody’s. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in the following types of instruments: payment-in-kind or deferred-interest obligations, defaulted securities, asset-backed securities, securities rated lower than B- or its equivalent by at least two rating agencies and securities having limited liquidity.

The Fund can make foreign investments, including investments in emerging market countries, but the Fund does not expect them to be over 20% of its assets. The Fund can have up to 15% of its assets in illiquid securities. The Fund can also invest in U.S. Treasury and agency securities or other short-term instruments when other suitable investment opportunities are not available, or when Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) would like to build the Fund’s liquidity.

Over long periods of time, a broadly diversified portfolio of lower-rated, higher-yielding securities is designed to, net of capital losses, provide a higher net return than a similarly diversified portfolio of higher-rated, lower-yielding securities of similar duration. Advisors attempts to minimize the risks of investing in lower-rated securities by:

· Doing its own credit analysis (independent of the rating agencies). The Fund buys securities of issuers with a balance of operational and financial risks that Advisors believes make it likely that such issuers will be able to meet their financial obligations;

· Constructing a portfolio of securities diversified by industry, maturity, duration and credit quality; and

· Buying or selling particular securities to seek to take advantage of anticipated changes and trends in the economy and financial markets.

Advisors’ judgment of the value of any particular security is a function of its experience with lower-rated securities, evaluation of general economic and securities market conditions and the financial condition of the security’s issuer. Under some market conditions, the Fund may sacrifice potential yield in order to adopt a defensive posture designed to preserve capital.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative securities and financial instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies.

The benchmark index for the Fund is the BofA Merrill Lynch BB-B U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Constrained Index.

Principal investment risks

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Emerging Markets Risk—The risk of foreign investment often increases in countries with emerging markets. For example, these countries may have more unstable governments than developed countries, and their economies may be based on only a few industries. Because their financial markets may be very small, share prices of financial instruments in emerging markets countries may be volatile and difficult to determine. Financial instruments of issuers in these countries may be less liquid than those of issuers in more developed countries. In addition, foreign investors such as the Fund are subject to a variety of special restrictions in many emerging markets countries.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Past performance

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 5.35%.

Best quarter: 17.76%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -12.70%, for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Average Annual Returns TIAA-CREF High-Yield Fund	1 Year	5 Years		Since Inception		Inception Date
Institutional Class	6.16%	15.92%		8.32%		Mar. 31, 2006
Retail Class	5.86%	15.65%		8.14%		Mar. 31, 2006
Retirement Class	5.89%	15.63%		8.04%		Mar. 31, 2006
Premier Class	6.00%	15.77%	[1]	8.23%	[1]	Sep. 30, 2009
After Taxes on Distributions Institutional Class	2.91%	12.81%		5.40%
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares Institutional Class	3.77%	11.44%		5.28%
BofA Merrill Lynch BB-B U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Constrained Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)	6.29%	16.45%		7.98%	[2]

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.75% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.65% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.55% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.40% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[1] The performance shown for the Premier Class that is prior to its inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

[2] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

TIAA-CREF Bond Index Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment objective

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks a favorable long-term total return, mainly from current income, by primarily investing in a portfolio of fixed-income securities that is designed to produce a return that corresponds with the total return of the U.S. investment-grade bond market based on a broad bond index.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and expenses

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

SHAREHOLDER FEES (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

2015-07-31

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 23% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

23.00%

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal investment strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds within its benchmark and portfolio tracking index, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the “Index”). The Fund uses a sampling technique to create a portfolio that closely matches the overall investment characteristics of the Index (for example, duration, sector diversification and credit quality) without investing in all of the securities in its index. At times the Fund may purchase securities not held in the Index, but which Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) believes have similar investment characteristics to securities held in its index. Generally, the Fund intends to invest in a wide spectrum of public, investment-grade, taxable debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars including government securities, as well as mortgage-backed, commercial mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed securities may include pass-through securities sold by private, governmental and government-related organizations and collateralized mortgage obligations, to the extent that such instruments are held by the Index. The Fund generally will invest in foreign securities denominated in U.S. dollars only to the extent they are included or eligible to be included in the Index. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

The securities purchased by the Fund will mainly be high-quality instruments rated in the top four credit categories by Moody’s or S&P or deemed to be of the same quality by Advisors using its own credit quality analysis. The Fund may continue to hold instruments that were rated as high-quality when purchased, but which subsequently are downgraded to below-investment-grade status or have their ratings withdrawn by one or more rating agencies.

Because the return of the Index is not reduced by investment and other operating expenses, the Fund’s ability to match the Index is negatively affected by the costs of buying and selling securities, as well as other fees and expenses. The use of this index by the Fund is not a fundamental policy of the Fund and may be changed without shareholder approval.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal investment risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Income Volatility Risk—The risk that the level of current income from a portfolio of fixed-income investments declines in certain interest rate environments.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Prepayment Risk—The risk that during periods of falling interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, forcing the Fund to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates and resulting in a decline in income.

· Extension Risk—The risk that during periods of rising interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans later than expected, preventing the Fund from reinvesting principal proceeds at higher interest rates and resulting in less income than potentially available.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Index Risk—The risk that the Fund’s performance will not correspond to its benchmark index for any period of time and may underperform such index or the overall stock market. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund’s investments vary from the composition of its benchmark index, the Fund’s performance could potentially vary from the index’s performance to a greater extent than if the Fund merely attempted to replicate the index.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Past performance

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year.

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.tiaa-cref.org

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

Bar Chart Footnotes [Text Block]

rr_BarChartFootnotesTextBlock

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 3.87%.

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

Best quarter: 3.75%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2011. Worst quarter: -2.41%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

Year to Date Return, Label

rr_YearToDateReturnLabel

The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2014

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn

3.87%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Best quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2011

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

3.75%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Worst quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2013

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(2.41%)

Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text]

rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes

(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

Caption

rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Thirty Day Yield Phone

rr_ThirtyDayYieldPhone

800 842-2252

Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.02%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.98%

^[1]

Retail Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

$ 15.00

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.10%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.14%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.49%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

(0.01%)

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.48%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

49

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

156

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

273

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

615

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.68%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.35%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 14, 2009

Retirement Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.10%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.27%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.37%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.37%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

38

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

119

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

208

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

468

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.58%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.45%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 14, 2009

Premier Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.10%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.15%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.02%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.27%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.27%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

28

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

87

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

152

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

343

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.48%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.56%

^[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Institutional Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.10%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.02%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.12%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.12%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

12

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

39

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

68

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

$ 154

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

6.32%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

7.65%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

4.10%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

(2.34%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.34%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.71%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 14, 2009

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(3.13%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

2.80%

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.31%)

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

2.53%

[1] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

[2] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.48% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.38% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.28% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.13% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[3] The performance shown for the Premier Class that is prior to its inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

XML

TIAA-CREF Bond Plus Fund

TIAA-CREF Bond Plus Fund

Investment objective

The Fund seeks a favorable long-term total return, primarily through high current income.

Fees and expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees TIAA-CREF Bond Plus Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)	none	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge	none	none	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions	none	none	none	none
Redemption or Exchange Fee	none	none	none	none
Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)	15.00	none	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 TIAA-CREF Bond Plus Fund		Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Management Fees		0.30%	0.30%	0.30%	0.30%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees		0.25%		0.15%
Other Expenses		0.12%	0.28%	0.03%	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.67%	0.58%	0.48%	0.33%
Waivers and Expense Reimbursements	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement		0.67%	0.58%	0.48%	0.33%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example TIAA-CREF Bond Plus Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
1 Year	68	59	49	34
3 Years	214	186	154	106
5 Years	373	324	269	185
10 Years	835	726	604	418

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 290% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds. For these purposes, bonds include fixed-income securities of all types. The Fund’s portfolio is divided into two segments. The first segment, which makes up at least 70% of the Fund’s assets, is invested primarily in a broad range of investment-grade bonds and fixed-income securities, including, but not limited to, corporate bonds, U.S. Treasury and agency securities and mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The securities within the Fund’s first segment are mainly high-quality instruments rated in the top four credit categories by Moody’s or S&P, or deemed to be of the same quality by Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) using its own credit analysis. The second segment, which will not exceed 30% of the Fund’s assets, is invested in fixed-income securities and bonds with special features in an effort to improve the Fund’s total return. Potential investments in this segment include, but are not limited to, non-investment-grade securities (those rated Ba1 or lower by Moody’s or BB+ or lower by S&P), emerging market fixed-income securities and convertible and preferred securities. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration. As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Fund’s benchmark index, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, was 5.63 years.

The Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed securities can include pass-through securities sold by private, governmental and government-related organizations and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”). Mortgage pass-through securities are created when mortgages are pooled together and interests in the pool are sold to investors. The cash flow from the underlying mortgages is “passed through” to investors in periodic principal and interest payments. CMOs are obligations that are fully collateralized directly or indirectly by a pool of mortgages from which payments of principal and interest are dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on the CMO.

The Fund may use an investment strategy called “mortgage rolls” (also referred to as “dollar rolls”), in which the Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with a counterparty to repurchase similar (same type, coupon and maturity) but not identical securities on a specified future date. The Fund loses the right to receive principal and interest paid on the securities sold. However, the Fund would benefit to the extent of any price received for the securities sold and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”) plus the interest earned on the short-term investment awaiting the settlement date of the forward purchase. If such benefits exceed the income and gain or loss due to mortgage repayments that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of the mortgage roll, the use of this technique will enhance the investment performance of the Fund compared with what such performance would have been without the use of mortgage rolls. Realizing benefits from the use of mortgage rolls depends upon the ability of Advisors to predict correctly mortgage prepayments and interest rates.

The Fund may also engage in relative value trading, a strategy in which the Fund reallocates assets across different sectors and maturities. Relative value trading is designed to enhance the Fund’s returns but increases the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative securities and financial instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies.

The Fund can also invest in foreign securities, including emerging market fixed-income securities and non-dollar-denominated instruments, but Advisors does not expect them to exceed 20% of the Fund’s assets. No more than 15% of the Fund’s assets can be invested in illiquid securities.

Principal investment risks

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Prepayment Risk—The risk that during periods of falling interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, forcing the Fund to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates and resulting in a decline in income.

· Extension Risk—The risk that during periods of rising interest rates, borrowers may pay off their mortgage loans later than expected, preventing the Fund from reinvesting principal proceeds at higher interest rates and resulting in less income than potentially available.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Income Volatility Risk—The risk that the level of current income from a portfolio of fixed-income investments declines in certain interest rate environments.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, currency, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Mortgage Roll Risk—The risk that Advisors will not correctly predict mortgage prepayments and interest rates, which will diminish the Fund’s performance.

· Downgrade Risk—The risk that securities are subsequently downgraded should Advisors and/or rating agencies believe the issuer’s business outlook or creditworthiness has deteriorated.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Illiquid Investments Risk—The risk that illiquid investments may be difficult to sell for their fair market value, if at all, or at any price.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Past performance

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class will vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 4.50%.

Best quarter: 5.36%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -2.59%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Average Annual Returns TIAA-CREF Bond Plus Fund	1 Year	5 Years		Since Inception		Inception Date
Institutional Class	(0.68%)	6.61%		5.17%		Mar. 31, 2006
Retail Class	(1.01%)	6.33%		4.96%		Mar. 31, 2006
Retirement Class	(0.93%)	6.34%		4.92%		Mar. 31, 2006
Premier Class	(0.93%)	6.45%	[1]	5.07%	[1]	Sep. 30, 2009
After Taxes on Distributions Institutional Class	(1.93%)	5.05%		3.52%
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares Institutional Class	(0.32%)	4.58%		3.39%
Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)	(2.02%)	4.44%		5.09%	[2]

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.70% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.60% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.50% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.35% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[1] The performance shown for the Premier Class that is prior to its inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Premier Class. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

[2] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment objective

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks high current income consistent with maintaining liquidity and preserving capital.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and expenses

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

SHAREHOLDER FEES (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

2015-07-31

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal investment strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund invests in high-quality, short-term money market instruments. Generally, the Fund seeks to maintain a share value of $1.00 per share. The Fund’s investments will be made in accordance with the applicable rules governing the quality, maturity and diversification of securities and other instruments held by money market funds.

The Fund invests in debt obligations with a remaining maturity of 397 days or less, such as:

(1)Commercial paper (short-term “IOUs” issued by corporations and others) or variable-rate, floating-rate or variable-amount securities of domestic or foreign companies;

(2)Obligations of commercial banks, savings banks, savings and loan associations, and foreign banks whose latest annual financial statements show more than $1 billion in assets. These include certificates of deposit, time deposits, bankers’ acceptances and other short-term debt;

(3)Securities issued by, or whose principal and interest are guaranteed by, the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities;

(4)Other debt obligations issued by domestic or foreign companies;

(5)Repurchase agreements involving securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, or involving certificates of deposit, commercial paper or bankers’ acceptances;

(6)Obligations issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities; and/or

(7)Obligations of international organizations (and related government agencies) designated or supported by U.S. or foreign government agencies to promote economic development or international banking.

The Fund maintains a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar-weighted average life to maturity of 120 days or less. The Fund limits its investments to securities that present minimal credit risk and are rated in the highest rating categories for short-term instruments. The Fund will only purchase money market instruments that at the time of purchase are “First Tier Securities,” that is, instruments rated within the highest short-term rating category by at least two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”), or rated within the highest short-term rating category by one NRSRO if it is the only NRSRO to have issued a rating for the security, or unrated securities of comparable quality or “Government Securities” as such term is defined by the applicable rules governing money market funds. The Fund can also invest up to 30% of its assets in money market and debt instruments of foreign issuers denominated in U.S. dollars.

The above list of investments is not exclusive and the Fund may make other investments consistent with its investment objective and policies.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal investment risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Current Income Risk—The risk that the income the Fund receives may fall as a result of a decline in interest rates. In a low interest rate environment, the Fund may not be able to achieve a positive or zero yield or maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Credit Risk (a type of Company Risk)—The risk that a decline in a company’s financial position may prevent it from making principal and interest payments on fixed-income securities when due.

· Income Volatility Risk—The risk that the level of current income from a portfolio of fixed-income investments declines in certain interest rate environments.

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

Although the Fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Risk Money Market Fund [Text]

rr_RiskMoneyMarketFund

Although the Fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Past performance

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year for the last ten years. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s peer group average.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The peer group average listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the peer group average. The returns for the peer group average reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year.

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.tiaa-cref.org

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

Bar Chart Footnotes [Text Block]

rr_BarChartFootnotesTextBlock

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 0.00%.

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

Best quarter: 1.33%, for the quarter ended December 31, 2006. Worst quarter: 0.00%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2011.

Year to Date Return, Label

rr_YearToDateReturnLabel

The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2014

Bar Chart, Year to Date Return

rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn

0.00%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Best quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2006

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

1.33%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Worst quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2011

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

0.00%

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

For the Fund’s most current 7-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

Caption

rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Money Market Seven Day Yield Phone

rr_MoneyMarketSevenDayYieldPhone

800 842-2252

iMoneyNet Money Fund Averages™—All Taxable

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.02%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

0.06%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

1.48%

Retail Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

$ 15.00

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.10%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.15%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.50%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.50%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

51

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

160

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

280

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

628

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

none

^[2]

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

0.07%

^[2]

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

1.76%

^[2],[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

^[2]

Retirement Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.10%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.38%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.38%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

39

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

122

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

213

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

480

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

none

^[2]

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

0.06%

^[2]

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

1.71%

^[2],[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 31, 2006

^[2]

Premier Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.10%

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.15%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

29

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

90

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

157

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

356

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

none

^[2]

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

0.09%

^[2],[3]

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

1.79%

^[2],[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 30, 2009

^[2]

Institutional Class

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption or Exchange Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)

rr_ShareholderFeeOther

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.10%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.13%

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.13%

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

13

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

42

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

73

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

$ 167

Annual Return 2004

rr_AnnualReturn2004

1.32%

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

3.22%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

5.05%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

5.27%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

2.82%

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

0.51%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

0.11%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

0.05%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

0.04%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

0.02%

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.02%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

0.14%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

1.82%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jul. 01, 1999

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.50% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.40% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.30% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.15% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[2] Beginning August 27, 2013, part or all of the investment management fees of the Institutional, Retail, Retirement and Premier Classes are being voluntarily waived. In addition, Advisors is reimbursing certain other fund expenses. Beginning January 1, 2013, part or all of the 12b-1 distribution expenses of the Retail Class are being waived. Prior to that, beginning August 18, 2009 part or all of the 12b-1 distribution expenses were not being reimbursed to the Fund's distributor. Also, beginning August 18, 2009 part or all of the service fees of the Retirement Class are being voluntarily waived. Beginning October 1, 2009, part or all of the 12b-1 distribution expenses of the Premier Class are being voluntarily waived. Without these changes, the 7-day current and effective net annualized yields and total returns for the fund would have been lower. The suspension of reimbursements and the addition of waivers are voluntary and may be discontinued at any time without notice.

[3] The performance shown for the Retail, Retirement and Premier Classes that is prior to their inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Retail, Retirement and Premier Classes. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.

XML

TIAA-CREF Tax-Exempt Bond Fund

TIAA-CREF Tax-Exempt Bond Fund

Investment objective

The Fund seeks a high level of current income that is exempt from regular federal income tax.

Fees and expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees TIAA-CREF Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Institutional Class
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions	none	none
Redemption or Exchange Fee	none	none
Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)	15.00	none

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses TIAA-CREF Tax-Exempt Bond Fund		Retail Class	Institutional Class
Management Fees		0.30%	0.30%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees		0.25%
Other Expenses		0.08%	0.05%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.63%	0.35%
Waivers and Expense Reimbursements	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement		0.63%	0.35%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example TIAA-CREF Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Institutional Class
1 Year	64	36
3 Years	202	113
5 Years	351	197
10 Years	786	443

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 fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 155% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in tax-exempt bonds, a type of municipal security, the interest on which, in the opinion of the issuer’s bond counsel at the time of issuance, is exempt from federal income tax, including federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). The Fund may also invest in other municipal securities including bonds, notes, commercial paper and other instruments (including participation interests in such securities) issued by or on behalf of the states, territories and possessions of the United States (including the District of Columbia) and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, the interest on which, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuers at the time of issuance, is exempt from regular federal income tax (i.e., excludable from gross income for individuals for federal income tax purposes but not necessarily exempt from AMT). Some of these securities may also be exempt from certain state and local income taxes. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

Municipal securities are often issued to raise funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as bridges, highways, housing, hospitals, mass transportation facilities, schools, streets and public utilities such as water and sewer works.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in private activity bonds. Private activity bonds are tax-exempt bonds whose proceeds are used to finance private, for-profit organizations. The interest on these securities (including the Fund’s distribution of that interest) may be a preference item for purposes of the AMT. The AMT is a special tax system that ensures that individuals and certain corporations pay at least some federal taxes. Income from securities that are a preference item is included in the computation of the AMT.

The Fund can also invest in other municipal securities, including certificates of participation, municipal leases, municipal obligation components and municipal custody receipts. In addition, the Fund can invest in municipal bonds secured by mortgages on single-family homes and multi-family projects. The Fund’s investments in these securities are subject to prepayment and extension risk. All of the Fund’s assets are dollar-denominated securities.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in securities rated below investment-grade, or unrated securities of comparable quality which are usually called “junk” bonds. The Fund may purchase and sell futures, options, swaps, forwards and other fixed-income derivative securities and financial instruments to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies.

The Fund pursues superior returns using historical yield spread and credit analysis to identify and invest in undervalued market sectors and individual securities. The Fund usually sells investments that Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”) believes to be overvalued on a relative basis. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration. As of May 1, 2014, the duration of the Fund’s benchmark index, the Barclays 10-Year Municipal Bond Index, was 5.85 years.

Principal investment risks

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Credit Risk (a type of Issuer Risk)—The risk that the issuer of bonds may not be able or willing to meet interest or principal payments when the bonds become due.

· State and Municipal Investment Risk—Because the Fund invests significantly in tax-exempt bonds and other municipal securities, events affecting states and municipalities may adversely affect the Fund’s investments and its performance. These events may include severe financial difficulties and continued budget deficits, economic or political policy changes, tax base erosion, state constitutional limits on tax increases, and changes in the credit ratings assigned to state and municipal issuers of debt instruments.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Illiquid Investments Risk—The risk that illiquid investments may be difficult to sell for their fair market value, if at all, or at any price.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Active Management Risk—The risk that Advisors’ strategy, investment selection or trading execution may cause the Fund to underperform relative to the benchmark index or mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

· Call Risk—The risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may call (or repay) a fixed-income security prior to maturity, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

· Non-Investment-Grade Securities Risk—Issuers of non-investment-grade securities, which are usually called “high-yield” or “junk bonds,” are typically in weaker financial health and such securities can be harder to value and sell and their prices can be more volatile than more highly rated securities. While these securities generally have higher rates of interest, they also involve greater risk of default than do securities of a higher-quality rating.

· Derivatives Risk—The risks associated with investing in derivatives may be different and greater than the risks associated with directly investing in the underlying securities and other instruments. The Fund may use futures, options, single name or index credit default swaps, or forwards, and the Fund may also use more complex derivatives such as swaps that might present liquidity, credit and counterparty risk. When investing in derivatives, the Fund may lose more than the principal amount invested.

Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Past performance

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year since inception of the Institutional Class. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index. After-tax performance is shown only for Institutional Class shares, and after-tax returns for the Retail Class of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Institutional Class shares.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The benchmark index listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the benchmark index. The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 4.14%.

Best quarter: 6.48%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -4.78%, for the quarter ended December 31, 2010.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Average Annual Returns TIAA-CREF Tax-Exempt Bond Fund	1 Year	5 Years	Since Inception		Inception Date
Institutional Class	(3.63%)	5.42%	4.30%		Mar. 31, 2006
Retail Class	(3.89%)	5.22%	4.15%		Mar. 31, 2006
After Taxes on Distributions Institutional Class	(3.83%)	5.30%	4.22%
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares Institutional Class	(0.94%)	5.01%	4.13%
Barclays 10-Year Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)	(2.17%)	5.83%	5.13%	[1]

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). After-tax returns are shown for only one class, and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

For the Fund’s most current 30-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.70% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; and (ii) 0.35% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Performance is calculated from the inception date of the Institutional Class.

XML

TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund

TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund

Investment objective

The Fund seeks high current income consistent with maintaining liquidity and preserving capital.

Fees and expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (percentage of offering price)	none	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge	none	none	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and Other Distributions	none	none	none	none
Redemption or Exchange Fee	none	none	none	none
Account Maintenance Fee (annual fee on accounts under $2,000)	15.00	none	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 TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund		Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
Management Fees		0.10%	0.10%	0.10%	0.10%
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees		0.25%		0.15%
Other Expenses		0.15%	0.28%	0.03%	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.50%	0.38%	0.28%	0.13%
Waivers and Expense Reimbursements	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement		0.50%	0.38%	0.28%	0.13%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of 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 redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Fund’s expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through July 31, 2015, but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund (USD $)	Retail Class	Retirement Class	Premier Class	Institutional Class
1 Year	51	39	29	13
3 Years	160	122	90	42
5 Years	280	213	157	73
10 Years	628	480	356	167

Principal investment strategies

The Fund invests in high-quality, short-term money market instruments. Generally, the Fund seeks to maintain a share value of $1.00 per share. The Fund’s investments will be made in accordance with the applicable rules governing the quality, maturity and diversification of securities and other instruments held by money market funds.

The Fund invests in debt obligations with a remaining maturity of 397 days or less, such as:

(1)Commercial paper (short-term “IOUs” issued by corporations and others) or variable-rate, floating-rate or variable-amount securities of domestic or foreign companies;

(2)Obligations of commercial banks, savings banks, savings and loan associations, and foreign banks whose latest annual financial statements show more than $1 billion in assets. These include certificates of deposit, time deposits, bankers’ acceptances and other short-term debt;

(3)Securities issued by, or whose principal and interest are guaranteed by, the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities;

(4)Other debt obligations issued by domestic or foreign companies;

(5)Repurchase agreements involving securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, or involving certificates of deposit, commercial paper or bankers’ acceptances;

(6)Obligations issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities; and/or

(7)Obligations of international organizations (and related government agencies) designated or supported by U.S. or foreign government agencies to promote economic development or international banking.

The Fund maintains a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar-weighted average life to maturity of 120 days or less. The Fund limits its investments to securities that present minimal credit risk and are rated in the highest rating categories for short-term instruments. The Fund will only purchase money market instruments that at the time of purchase are “First Tier Securities,” that is, instruments rated within the highest short-term rating category by at least two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”), or rated within the highest short-term rating category by one NRSRO if it is the only NRSRO to have issued a rating for the security, or unrated securities of comparable quality or “Government Securities” as such term is defined by the applicable rules governing money market funds. The Fund can also invest up to 30% of its assets in money market and debt instruments of foreign issuers denominated in U.S. dollars.

The above list of investments is not exclusive and the Fund may make other investments consistent with its investment objective and policies.

Principal investment risks

You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. An investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:

· Current Income Risk—The risk that the income the Fund receives may fall as a result of a decline in interest rates. In a low interest rate environment, the Fund may not be able to achieve a positive or zero yield or maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share.

· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)—The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.

· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)—The risk that an issuer’s earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of the issuer’s financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.

· Credit Risk (a type of Company Risk)—The risk that a decline in a company’s financial position may prevent it from making principal and interest payments on fixed-income securities when due.

· Income Volatility Risk—The risk that the level of current income from a portfolio of fixed-income investments declines in certain interest rate environments.

· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)—The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments and during periods when prevailing interest rates are low. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment Risk—Investment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Fund’s ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.

Although the Fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. Please see the non-summary portion of the Prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.

Past performance

The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year for the last ten years. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class may vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the period covered by the bar chart. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2013, and how those returns compare to those of the Fund’s peer group average.

The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by Advisors to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The peer group average listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the peer group average. The returns for the peer group average reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)†

^†The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2014, was 0.00%.

Best quarter: 1.33%, for the quarter ended December 31, 2006. Worst quarter: 0.00%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2011.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2013

Average Annual Returns TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund		1 Year	5 Years		10 Years		Inception Date
Institutional Class		0.02%	0.14%		1.82%		Jul. 01, 1999
Retail Class	[1]	none	0.07%		1.76%	[2]	Mar. 31, 2006
Retirement Class	[1]	none	0.06%		1.71%	[2]	Mar. 31, 2006
Premier Class	[1]	none	0.09%	[2]	1.79%	[2]	Sep. 30, 2009
iMoneyNet Money Fund Averages™—All Taxable		0.02%	0.06%		1.48%

Current performance of the Fund’s shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.

For the Fund’s most current 7-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.

[1] Under the Fund's expense reimbursement arrangements, the Fund's investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc., has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions or other transactional expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.50% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.40% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.30% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.15% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least July 31, 2015, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Beginning August 27, 2013, part or all of the investment management fees of the Institutional, Retail, Retirement and Premier Classes are being voluntarily waived. In addition, Advisors is reimbursing certain other fund expenses. Beginning January 1, 2013, part or all of the 12b-1 distribution expenses of the Retail Class are being waived. Prior to that, beginning August 18, 2009 part or all of the 12b-1 distribution expenses were not being reimbursed to the Fund's distributor. Also, beginning August 18, 2009 part or all of the service fees of the Retirement Class are being voluntarily waived. Beginning October 1, 2009, part or all of the 12b-1 distribution expenses of the Premier Class are being voluntarily waived. Without these changes, the 7-day current and effective net annualized yields and total returns for the fund would have been lower. The suspension of reimbursements and the addition of waivers are voluntary and may be discontinued at any time without notice.

[2] The performance shown for the Retail, Retirement and Premier Classes that is prior to their inception date is based on performance of the Fund's Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Retail, Retirement and Premier Classes. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.