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Global Small Company Portfolio  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Global Small Company Portfolio
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The investment objective of the Global Small Company Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is to achieve long-term capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold or sell shares of the Global Small Company Portfolio. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment): None
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay eachyear as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination Feb. 28, 2024
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

A mutual fund generally pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when mutual fund shares are held in a taxable account. The Global Small Company Portfolio does not pay transaction costs when buying and selling shares of other mutual funds (the “Underlying Funds”); however, the Underlying Funds pay transaction costs when buying and selling securities for their portfolio. The transaction costs incurred by the Underlying Funds, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 13% based on the weighted average portfolio turnover ratios of each of the Portfolio’s underlying investments.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 13.00%
Expenses Restated to Reflect Current [Text] rr_ExpensesRestatedToReflectCurrent *   The “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” and “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” have been restated to reflect current fees.
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading EXAMPLE
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is meant to help you compare the cost of investing in the Global Small Company Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The costs for the Portfolio reflect the net expenses of the Portfolio that result from the contractual expense waiver in the first year only. 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 Global Small Company Portfolio is a “fund of funds,” which means the Portfolio generally allocates its assets among other funds managed by the Advisor (the “Underlying Funds”), although it has the ability to invest directly in securities and derivatives. To achieve the Portfolio’s and the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives, the Advisor implements an integrated investment approach that combines research, portfolio design, portfolio management, and trading functions. As further described below, the Portfolio’s and the Underlying Funds’ designs emphasize long-term drivers of expected returns identified by the Advisor’s research, while balancing risk through broad diversification across companies and sectors. The Advisor’s portfolio management and trading processes further balance those long-term drivers of expected returns with shorter-term drivers of expected returns and trading costs.

The Global Small Company Portfolio is designed to provide investors with access to securities portfolios consisting of a broad range of equity securities of primarily small companies in developed and emerging markets. The Portfolio pursues its investment objective by investing substantially all of its assets in the following Underlying Funds: The Asia Pacific Small Company Series, The Canadian Small Company Series, The Continental Small Company Series, The Emerging Markets Small Cap Series, The Japanese Small Company Series, The United Kingdom Small Company Series (each a series of The DFA Investment Trust Company), and U.S. Small Cap Portfolio (a series of DFA Investment Dimensions Group Inc.).

The Global Small Company Portfolio typically allocates its investments among the Underlying Funds in the following manner: 30% to 70% in the U.S. Small Cap Portfolio; 5% to 30% in The Continental Small Company Series; 5% to 25% in The Emerging Markets Small Cap Series; 0% to 20% in The Japanese Small Company Series; 0% to 20% in The United Kingdom Small Company Series; 0% to 15% in The Asia Pacific Company Series; and 0% to 10% in The Canadian Small Company Series. When deciding allocations to the Underlying Funds, the Portfolio takes into account, among other factors, the aggregate market capitalizations and adjustments for free float of the eligible universe of securities within each region. Periodically, the Advisor will review the allocations for the Portfolio in each Underlying Fund and may adjust allocations to the Underlying Funds or may add or remove Underlying Funds in the Portfolio without notice to shareholders. Certain Underlying Funds invest in small companies using a market capitalization weighted approach in each country or region designated by the Advisor as an approved market for investment. A company’s market capitalization is the number of its shares outstanding times its price per share. Under a market capitalization weighted approach, companies with higher market capitalizations generally represent a larger proportion of an Underlying Fund than companies with relatively lower market capitalizations. The Portfolio and Underlying Funds may emphasize certain stocks, including smaller capitalization companies, lower relative price stocks, and/or higher profitability stocks as compared to their representation in the countries and/or regions in which the Portfolio and/or Underlying Funds are authorized to invest. An equity issuer is considered to have a low relative price (i.e., a value stock) primarily because it has a low price in relation to its book value. In assessing relative price, the Advisor may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios. An equity issuer is considered to have high profitability because it has high earnings or profits from operations in relation to its book value or assets. The criteria the Advisor uses for assessing relative price and profitability are subject to change from time to time.

The Global Small Company Portfolio, directly or indirectly through its investment in the Underlying Funds, intends to invest its assets to gain exposure to at least three different countries, including the United States. The

Advisor will generally seek to set country weights based on the relative market capitalizations of eligible companies within each approved market of the Underlying Funds. As of the date of the Prospectus, the Portfolio, directly or indirectly through its investment in the Underlying Funds, invests approximately 58% of its net assets in U.S. companies. This percentage will change due to market conditions.

As a non-fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, the Global Small Company Portfolio, directly or through its investments in the Underlying Funds, will invest at least 80% of its net assets in securities of small companies. The Advisor determines the maximum market capitalization of a small company with respect to each country in which the Portfolio or Underlying Fund invests. In the countries or regions authorized for investment, the Advisor first ranks eligible companies listed on selected exchanges based on the companies’ market capitalizations. The Advisor then determines the universe of eligible stocks by defining the maximum market capitalization of a small company that may be purchased by the Portfolio or Underlying Fund with respect to each country or region. Based on market capitalization data as of December 31, 2022, for the Portfolio, the market capitalization of a small company in any country in which the Portfolio or its Underlying Funds invests would be below $9,484 million. This threshold will vary by country or region. For example, based on market capitalization data as of December 31, 2022, the Advisor would consider a small company in Switzerland to have a market capitalization below $8,202 million, a small company in the United States to have a market capitalization below $7,650 million, a small company in Norway to have a market capitalization below $1,765 million, and a small company in Japan to have a market capitalization below $2,035 million. These thresholds will change due to market conditions.

The Advisor may also increase or reduce the Global Small Company Portfolio’s and/or Underlying Funds’ exposure to an eligible company, or exclude a company, based on shorter-term considerations, such as a company’s price momentum and investment characteristics. In assessing a company’s investment characteristics, the Advisor considers ratios such as recent changes in assets divided by total assets. The criteria the Advisor uses for assessing a company’s investment characteristics are subject to change from time to time. In addition, the Advisor seeks to reduce trading costs using a flexible trading approach that looks for opportunities to participate in the available market liquidity, while managing turnover and explicit transaction costs.

The Global Small Company Portfolio and each Underlying Fund may invest in affiliated and unaffiliated registered and unregistered money market funds to manage its cash pending investment in other securities or to maintain liquidity for the payment of redemptions or other purposes. Investments in money market funds may involve a duplication of certain fees and expenses.

The Global Small Company Portfolio and each Underlying Fund may gain exposure to companies associated with approved markets by purchasing equity securities in the form of depositary receipts, which may be listed or traded outside the issuer’s domicile country. The Portfolio and each Underlying Fund may purchase or sell futures contracts and options on futures contracts for equity securities and indices of its approved markets or other equity market securities or indices, including those of the United States, to increase or decrease equity market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the Portfolio or Underlying Fund. Because many of the Portfolio’s and certain Underlying Funds’ investments may be denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio and certain Underlying Funds may enter into foreign currency exchange transactions, including foreign currency forward contracts, in connection with the settlement of foreign securities or to transfer cash balances from one currency to another currency.

The Global Small Company Portfolio and Underlying Funds may lend their portfolio securities to generate additional income.

A summary of the investment strategies and policies of the Underlying Funds in which the Global Small Company Portfolio invests as of the date of this Prospectus is described in the Portfolio’s Prospectus in the section entitled “ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES”.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

Because the value of your investment in the Global Small Company Portfolio will fluctuate, there is the risk that you will lose money. An investment in the Portfolio is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The following is a description of principal risks of investing in the Portfolio.

Fund of Funds Risk: The investment performance of the Portfolio is affected by the investment performance of the Underlying Funds in which the Portfolio invests. The ability of the Portfolio to achieve its investment objective depends on the ability of the Underlying Funds to meet their investment objectives and on the Advisor’s decisions regarding the allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among the Underlying Funds. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Portfolio or any Underlying Fund will be achieved. When the Portfolio invests in Underlying Funds, investors are exposed to a proportionate share of the expenses of those Underlying Funds in addition to the expenses of the Portfolio. Through its investments in the Underlying Funds, the Portfolio is subject to the risks of the Underlying Funds’ investments. The risks of the Portfolio’s and Underlying Funds’ investments are described below.

Equity Market Risk: Even a long-term investment approach cannot guarantee a profit. Economic, market, political, and issuer-specific conditions and events will cause the value of equity securities, and the Portfolio that owns them, to rise or fall. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices.

Foreign Securities and Currencies Risk: Foreign securities prices may decline or fluctuate because of: (a) economic or political actions of foreign governments, and/or (b) less regulated or liquid securities markets. Investors holding these securities may also be exposed to foreign currency risk (the possibility that foreign currency will fluctuate in value against the U.S. dollar or that a foreign government will convert, or be forced to convert, its currency to another currency, changing its value against the U.S. dollar). The Underlying Funds do not hedge foreign currency risk.

Depositary receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted. In addition, the underlying issuers of certain depositary receipts, particularly unsponsored or unregistered depositary receipts, are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. Depositary receipts that are not sponsored by the issuer may be less liquid and there may be less readily available public information about the issuer.

Emerging Markets Risk: Numerous emerging market countries have a history of, and continue to experience serious, and potentially continuing, economic and political problems. Stock markets in many emerging market countries are relatively small, expensive to trade in and generally have higher risks than those in developed markets. Securities in emerging markets also may be less liquid than those in developed markets and foreigners are often limited in their ability to invest in, and withdraw assets from, these markets. Additional restrictions may be imposed under other conditions. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies or less developed capital markets and, as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.

Small Company Risk: Securities of small companies are often less liquid than those of large companies and this could make it difficult to sell a small company security at a desired time or price. As a result, small company stocks may fluctuate relatively more in price. In general, smaller capitalization companies are also more vulnerable than larger companies to adverse business or economic developments and they may have more limited resources.

Profitability Investment Risk: High relative profitability stocks may perform differently from the market as a whole and an investment strategy purchasing these securities may cause the Portfolio or an Underlying Fund to at times underperform equity funds that use other investment strategies.

Value Investment Risk: Value stocks may perform differently from the market as a whole and an investment strategy purchasing these securities may cause the Portfolio or an Underlying Fund to at times underperform equity funds that use other investment strategies. Value stocks can react differently to political, economic, and industry developments than the market as a whole and other types of stocks. Value stocks also may underperform the market for long periods of time.

Derivatives Risk: Derivatives are instruments, such as futures, and options thereon, and foreign currency forward contracts, whose value is derived from that of other assets, rates or indices. The use of derivatives for non-hedging purposes may be considered to carry more risk than other types of investments. When the Portfolio or an Underlying Fund uses derivatives, the Portfolio or Underlying Fund will be directly exposed to the risks of those derivatives. Derivative instruments are subject to a number of risks including counterparty, settlement, liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, as well as the risk of improper valuation. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Portfolio or Underlying Fund could lose more than the principal amount invested.

Securities Lending Risk: Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Portfolio or an Underlying Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Portfolio or Underlying Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences.

Operational Risk: Operational risks include human error, changes in personnel, system changes, faults in communication, and failures in systems, technology, or processes. Various operational events or circumstances are outside the Advisor’s control, including instances at third parties. The Portfolio and the Advisor seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address these risks.

Cyber Security Risk: The Portfolio’s and its service providers’ use of internet, technology and information systems may expose the Portfolio to potential risks linked to cyber security breaches of those technological or information systems. Cyber security breaches, amongst other things, could allow an unauthorized party to gain access to proprietary information, customer data, or fund assets, or cause the Portfolio and/or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney Because the value of your investment in the Global Small Company Portfolio will fluctuate, there is the risk that you will lose money.
RIsk Not Insured [Text] rr_RiskNotInsured An investment in the Portfolio is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The bar chart and table immediately following illustrate the variability of the Global Small Company Portfolio’s returns and are meant to provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. The bar chart shows the changes in the Portfolio’s performance from year to year. The table illustrates how annualized one year, five year and since inception returns, both before and after taxes, compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Portfolio’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Updated performance information for the Portfolio can be obtained by visiting https://www.dimensional.com/us-en/funds.

The after-tax returns presented in the table for the Global Small Company Portfolio are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Portfolio through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart and table immediately following illustrate the variability of the Global Small Company Portfolio’s returns and are meant to provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. The bar chart shows the changes in the Portfolio’s performance from year to year.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress https://www.dimensional.com/us-en/funds
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Portfolio’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Global Small Company Portfolio Institutional Class Shares—Total Returns
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

January 2018-December 2022

 

 

 

Highest Quarter
24.12% (10/20–12/20)

  

Lowest Quarter
-31.85% (1/20–3/20)

Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Highest Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2020
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 24.12%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Lowest Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Mar. 31, 2020
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (31.85%)
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Annualized Returns (%)Periods ending December 31, 2022
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes on sales)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate The after-tax returns presented in the table for the Global Small Company Portfolio are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred In addition, the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Portfolio through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Global Small Company Portfolio | MSCI All Country World Small Cap Index (net dividends) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes on sales)  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (18.67%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.23%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 6.14%
Global Small Company Portfolio | Institutional Class Shares  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.35% [1]
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.07% [1]
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.21% [1],[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.63% [1],[2]
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets 0.21% [1],[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.42% [1]
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 43
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 181
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 330
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 766
Annual Return 2018 rr_AnnualReturn2018 (15.96%)
Annual Return 2019 rr_AnnualReturn2019 21.75%
Annual Return 2020 rr_AnnualReturn2020 11.01%
Annual Return 2021 rr_AnnualReturn2021 23.16%
Annual Return 2022 rr_AnnualReturn2022 (14.60%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (14.60%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.62%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 6.12%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jan. 18, 2017
Global Small Company Portfolio | Institutional Class Shares | After Taxes on Distributions  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (14.77%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.22%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 5.66%
Global Small Company Portfolio | Institutional Class Shares | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Portfolio Shares  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (8.38%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.82%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 4.80%
[1] The “Management Fee” and “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” have been adjusted to reflect the decrease in the management fee payable by the Portfolio from 0.40% to 0.35% effective as of February 28, 2022.
[2] The “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” and “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” have been restated to reflect current fees.
[3] Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (the “Advisor”) has agreed to waive certain fees and in certain instances, assume certain expenses of the Global Small Company Portfolio. The Fee Waiver and Expense Assumption Agreement for the Portfolio will remain in effect through February 28, 2024, and may only be terminated by the Fund’s Board of Directors prior to that date. The Advisor retains the right to seek reimbursement for any fees previously waived and/or expenses previously assumed up to thirty-six months after such fee waiver and/or expense assumption.