Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

TIAA-CREF Small-Cap Equity 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, mainly through capital appreciation, primarily from equity securities of smaller domestic companies.

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

2016-02-29

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 October 31, 2014, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 94% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

94.00%

Expenses Restated to Reflect Current [Text]

rr_ExpensesRestatedToReflectCurrent

Expense information has been restated to reflect an amendment to the Fund’s investment management agreement effective March 1, 2015.

Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text]

rr_ExpensesNotCorrelatedToRatioDueToAcquiredFundFees

“Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are the Fund’s proportionate amount of the expenses of any investment companies or pools in which the Fund invests. These expenses are not paid directly by Fund shareholders. Instead, Fund shareholders bear these expenses indirectly as a result of the Fund’s investments. Because “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are included in the chart above, the Fund’s operating expenses here will not correlate with the expenses included in the Financial Highlights in this Prospectus and the Fund’s annual report.

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 February 29, 2016, 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 small-cap equity securities. In seeking a favorable long-term total return, the Fund will invest in securities that the Fund’s investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“Advisors”), believes have favorable prospects for significant long-term capital appreciation potential. A small-cap equity security is a security within the capitalization range of the companies included in the Fund’s benchmark index, the Russell 2000^®Index, at the time of purchase. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of smaller domestic companies across a wide range of sectors, growth rates and valuations. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

The Fund seeks to add incremental return over its stated benchmark index, while also managing the relative risk of the Fund versus its benchmark index. Advisors uses proprietary quantitative models based on financial and investment theories to evaluate and score a broad universe of stocks in which the Fund invests. These models typically weigh many different variables, including the valuation of the individual stock versus the market or its peers, future earnings and sustainable growth prospects, and the price and volume trends of the stock. The score is used to form the portfolio, along with the following additional inputs: weightings of the stock and its corresponding sector in the benchmark, correlations between the performance of the stocks in the universe, and trading costs. The Fund may purchase foreign securities and securities issued in connection with reorganizations and other special situations.

The overall goal is to build a portfolio of stocks that outperform the Fund’s stated benchmark index, while also managing the relative risk of the Fund versus its benchmark index. The Fund’s strategy is based upon Advisors’ understanding of the interplay of market factors and does not assure successful investment. The markets or the prices of individual securities may be affected by factors not taken into account in Advisors’ analysis.

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:

· 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.

· Issuer Risk (often calledFinancial 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.

· 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.

· 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.

· Quantitative Analysis Risk—The risk that stocks selected using quantitative modeling and analysis could perform differently from 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.

· Special Situation Risk—Stocks of companies involved in reorganizations, mergers and other special situations can involve the risk that such situations may not materialize or may develop in unexpected ways. Consequently, those stocks can involve more risk than ordinary securities.

Risk Closing [Text Block]

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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 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, 2014, 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]

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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 Closing [Text Block]

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Best quarter: 20.16%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2009. Worst quarter: -24.81%, for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

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Best quarter:

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

20.16%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

Worst quarter:

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(24.81%)

Performance Table Heading

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AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS For the Periods Ended December 31, 2014

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

rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes

The returns for the benchmark index reflect no deduction 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 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.

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.

Russell 2000® Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

4.89%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.55%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

7.77%

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

0.40%

^[1]

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

^[1]

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.11%

^[1]

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.07%

^[1],[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.83%

^[1]

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1],[3]

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

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.83%

^[1]

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

85

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

265

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

460

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,025

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

6.63%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.53%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

7.16%

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

0.40%

^[1]

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

^[1]

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.27%

^[1]

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.07%

^[1],[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.74%

^[1]

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1],[3]

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

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.74%

^[1]

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

76

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

237

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

411

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

918

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

6.68%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.63%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

7.15%

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

0.40%

^[1]

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.15%

^[1]

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.02%

^[1]

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.07%

^[1],[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.64%

^[1]

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1],[3]

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

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.64%

^[1]

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

65

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

205

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

357

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

798

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

6.75%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.73%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

7.33%

^[4]

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

0.40%

^[1]

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

^[1]

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.02%

^[1]

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.07%

^[1],[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

0.49%

^[1]

Waivers and Expense Reimbursements

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

^[1],[3]

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

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.49%

^[1]

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

50

Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

157

Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

274

Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

616

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

3.44%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

17.97%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

(6.14%)

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(32.75%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

26.97%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

27.49%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

(3.90%)

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

14.07%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

39.99%

Annual Return 2014

rr_AnnualReturn2014

6.92%

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

6.92%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.91%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

7.42%

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Oct. 01, 2002

Institutional Class | After Taxes on Distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

2.86%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

14.06%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

5.89%

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

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

6.29%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

12.49%

10 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10

5.62%

[1] Expense information has been restated to reflect an amendment to the Fund's investment management agreement effective March 1, 2015.

[2] "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are the Fund's proportionate amount of the expenses of any investment companies or pools in which the Fund invests. These expenses are not paid directly by Fund shareholders. Instead, Fund shareholders bear these expenses indirectly as a result of the Fund's investments. Because "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are included in the chart above, the Fund's operating expenses here will not correlate with the expenses included in the Financial Highlights in this Prospectus and the Fund's annual report.

[3] 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) 0.92% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.78% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.68% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.53% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least February 29, 2016, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees.

[4] 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.