The U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio 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 Portfolio shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 6% of the average value of its investment portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

6.00%

Other Expenses, New Fund, Based on Estimates [Text]

rr_OtherExpensesNewFundBasedOnEstimates

The Class R25 shares are a new class of shares of the Portfolio, so the "Other Expenses" shown for the class are based on anticipated fees and expenses for the fiscal period ending October 31, 2011

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 U.S. Sustainability Core 1 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 and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. 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 that result from the contractual expense waiver and assumption 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

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (the "Advisor") believes that equity investing should involve a long-term view and a systematic focus on sources of expected returns, not on stock picking or market timing. In constructing an investment portfolio, the Advisor identifies a broadly diversified universe of eligible securities with precisely-defined risk and return characteristics. It then places priority on efficiently managing portfolio turnover and keeping trading costs low. The Advisor does not intend to purchase or sell securities for the investment portfolio based on prospects for the economy, the securities markets or the individual issuers whose shares are eligible for purchase.

The U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio purchases a broad and diverse group of common stocks of U.S. companies with a greater emphasis on small capitalization and value companies as compared to their representation in the U.S. Universe, while adjusting the composition of the Portfolio based on environmental impact considerations. The Advisor generally defines the U.S. Universe as a market capitalization weighted portfolio of U.S. operating companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE"), NYSE Alternext US LLC or Nasdaq Global Market^® or such other securities exchanges deemed appropriate by the Advisor. The Portfolio's increased exposure to small and value companies may be achieved by decreasing the allocation of the Portfolio's assets to the largest U.S. growth companies relative to their weight in the U.S. Universe, which would result in a greater weight allocation to small capitalization and value companies. An equity issuer is considered a growth company primarily because it has a low, non-negative book value in relation to its market capitalization. An equity issuer is considered a value company primarily because it has a high book value in relation to its market capitalization.

As a non-fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of U.S. companies. The percentage allocation of the assets of the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio to securities of the largest U.S. growth companies as defined above will generally be reduced from between 2.5% and 25% of their percentage weight in the U.S. Universe. For example, as of December31, 2010, securities of the largest U.S. growth companies comprised 16% of the U.S. Universe and the Advisor allocated approximately 12% of the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio to securities of the largest U.S. growth companies. The percentage by which the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio's allocation to securities of the largest U.S. growth companies is reduced will fluctuate with market movements, environmental impact considerations and other factors. Additionally, the range by which the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio's percentage allocation to the securities of the largest U.S. growth companies is reduced as compared to the U.S. Universe will change from time to time and may be impacted by the Portfolio's investment strategies with respect to environmental impact considerations.

The U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio also may use derivatives, such as futures contracts and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices, to gain market exposure on its uninvested cash pending investment in securities or to maintain liquidity to pay redemptions. The above-referenced investments are not subject to, although they may incorporate, the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio's environmental impact considerations.

The U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio may lend its portfolio securities to generate additional income.

The Advisor intends to take into account the impact that companies have on the environment when making investment decisions for the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio by adjusting the composition of the Portfolio based on environmental impact considerations. Relative to a portfolio without environmental impact considerations, the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio will exclude or underweight securities of companies that, according to the Portfolio's environmental impact considerations, may have a relatively negative impact on the environment as compared either to other companies in the Portfolio's entire investment universe or other companies with similar business lines. Similarly, relative to a portfolio without environmental impact considerations, the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio will overweight securities of companies that, according to the Portfolio's environmental impact considerations, may have a relatively positive impact on the environment as compared either to other companies in the Portfolio's entire investment universe or other companies with similar business lines. Negative factors include issues relating to agricultural chemicals, climate change, hazardous waste, ozone depleting chemicals, regulatory problems, substantial emissions, negative economic impact, and other environmental concerns. Positive factors include issues relating to beneficial products and services, clean energy, environmental management systems, pollution prevention, recycling and other strengths. The Advisor has engaged a third party service provider to provide research and ratings information relating to the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio's environmental impact considerations with respect to securities in the portfolio, where information is available from such provider.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

PRINCIPAL RISKS

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

Market Risk: Even a long-term investment approach cannot guarantee a profit. Economic, political, and issuer-specific events will cause the value of securities, and the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio that owns them, to rise or fall. Because the value of your investment in the Portfolio will fluctuate, there is the risk that you will lose money.

Value Investment Risk: Value stocks may perform differently from the market as a whole and following a value-oriented investment strategy may cause the Portfolio to at times underperform equity funds that use other investment strategies.

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.

Environmental Impact Consideration Investment Risk: The U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio's environmental impact considerations may limit the number of investment opportunities available to the Portfolio, and as a result, at times, the Portfolio may produce more modest gains than funds that are not subject to such special investment considerations. For example, the Portfolio may decline to purchase, or underweight its investment in, certain securities due to environmental impact considerations when other investment considerations would suggest that a more significant investment in such securities would be advantageous. In addition, the Portfolio may sell certain securities due to environmental impact considerations when it is otherwise disadvantageous to do so. The environmental impact considerations may cause the Portfolio's industry allocation to deviate from that of funds without these considerations and of conventional benchmarks.

Derivatives: Derivatives are securities, such as futures contracts, whose value is derived from that of other securities or indices. The use of derivatives for non-hedging purposes may be considered more speculative than other types of investments. When the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio uses derivatives, the Portfolio will be directly exposed to the risks of that derivative. Derivative securities are subject to a number of risks including liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, and the risk of improper valuation. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Portfolio could lose more than the principal amount invested.

Securities Lending: 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 U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio 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 potential adverse tax consequences.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

Because the value of your investment in the Portfolio will fluctuate, there is the risk that you will lose money.

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 U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio's returns and are meant to provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. The Class R25 shares of the Portfolio are a new class of shares for which performance information is not available, therefore, the bar chart and table show performance information for the Institutional Class shares of the Portfolio, another class of shares of the Portfolio not offered in this Prospectus. The bar chart shows the changes in performance of the Institutional Class shares of the Portfolio from year to year. The table illustrates how annualized one year and since inception returns of the Institutional Class shares of the Portfolio compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The U.S. Sustainability Core 1 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 www.dimensional.com.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The bar chart shows the changes in performance of the Institutional Class shares of the Portfolio from year to year. The table illustrates how annualized one year and since inception returns of the Institutional Class shares of the Portfolio compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dimensional.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

The U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio's past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio Institutional Class Shares⁽¹⁾

Total Returns (%)

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock


January 2009-December 2010
Highest Quarter		Lowest Quarter
18.89 (4/09-6/09)		-11.40 (1/09-3/09)

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Periods ending December 31, 2010

Annualized Returns (%)

U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio | Russell 3000 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

One Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

16.93%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

1.85%

[1]	The Class R25 shares are a new class of shares of the Portfolio, so the "Other Expenses" shown for the class are based on anticipated fees and expenses for the fiscal period ending October 31, 2011.
[2]	The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management fee and assume the ordinary operating expenses of a class of the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio (excluding the expenses the Portfolio incurs indirectly through investment in other investment companies and excluding any applicable 12b-1 fees) ("Portfolio Expenses") to the extent necessary to limit the Portfolio Expenses, on an annualized basis, to 0.37% as a percentage of average net assets (the "Expense Limitation Amount"). At any time that the Portfolio Expenses of the Portfolio are less than the Portfolio's Expense Limitation Amount, the Advisor retains the right to recover any fees previously waived and/or expenses previously assumed to the extent that such recovery will not cause the Portfolio's annualized Portfolio Expenses to exceed the Expense Limitation Amount. The Portfolio is not obligated to reimburse the Advisor for fees previously waived or expenses previously assumed by the Advisor more than thirty-six months before the date of such reimbursement. The Fee Waiver and Expense Assumption Agreement for the U.S. Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio will remain in effect through February 28, 2012, and may not be terminated by the Advisor prior to that date.
[3]	The Institutional Class shares of the Portfolio would have substantially similar annual returns as the Class R25 shares because the shares are invested in the same portfolio securities. Returns for the Class R25 shares and Institutional Class shares will differ to the extent that the classes will have different expenses, and returns for the Class R25 shares would be expected to be lower than the returns of the Institutional Class shares to the extent that the Class R25 shares have higher expenses than the Institutional Class shares.