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 World ex U.S. Value 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 portfolios. 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 8.7% based on the weighted average portfolio turnover ratios of each of the Portfolio's underlying investments.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

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8.70%

Expense Example [Heading]

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Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

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This Example is meant to help you compare the cost of investing in the World ex U.S. Value 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 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]

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PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

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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 World ex U.S. Value Portfolio seeks to achieve its investment objective through exposure to a broad portfolio of securities of non-U.S. companies associated with countries with developed and emerging markets, which may include frontier markets (emerging market countries in an earlier stage of development), that the Advisor believes to be value stocks at the time of purchase. To achieve this exposure, the Advisor will generally purchase shares of The DFA International Value Series (the "DFA International Value Series"), DFA International Small Cap Value Portfolio, and Dimensional Emerging Markets Value Fund (the "Underlying Funds"), which are other funds managed by the Advisor. The Portfolio currently intends to allocate its investments among the Underlying Funds in the following manner: 50% to 80% in the DFA International Value Series; 5% to 20% in the DFA International Small Cap Value Portfolio; and 10% to 30% in the Dimensional Emerging Markets Value Fund. In addition to, or in place of, investments in the Underlying Funds, the Portfolio also is permitted to invest directly in the same types of securities of companies that are described in this Prospectus as eligible investments for the Underlying Funds. The Portfolio and Underlying Funds generally consider securities to be value stocks if they have a high book value in relation to their market value. In assessing market value, the Advisor may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price earnings ratios as well as economic conditions and developments in the issuer's industry. The criteria the Advisor uses for assessing value are subject to change from time to time. The Advisor may consider the relative market capitalization weighting of developed and emerging markets within the universe of eligible securities when allocating Portfolio investments among the Underlying Funds or securities.

Using a market capitalization weighted approach, the DFA International Value Series invests in large value companies associated with developed market countries and the DFA International Small Cap Value Portfolio invests in small value companies associated with developed market countries. Generally, the Advisor determines if a company is large or small based on its market capitalization. A company's market capitalization is the number of its shares outstanding times its price per share. In general, the higher the relative market capitalization of a company meeting the Advisor's eligibility thresholds within an eligible country or region, the greater its representation in the Underlying Fund. The Advisor may modify market capitalization weights after considering such factors as free float, momentum, trading strategies, liquidity management and other factors that the Advisor determines to be appropriate, given market conditions. The Dimensional Emerging Markets Value Fund may purchase securities of value companies associated with emerging markets, including frontier markets, across all market capitalizations. With respect to each Underlying Fund, the Advisor may limit or fix the Underlying Fund's exposure to a particular country, region or issuer.

The Portfolio and each Underlying Fund intends to purchase stocks of companies associated with countries that the Advisor has identified as approved markets for investment for such Portfolio or Underlying Fund. As a non-fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's net assets will be invested directly, or indirectly through its investment in the Underlying Funds, in securities of non-U.S. companies.

The Portfolio and Underlying Funds may gain exposure to companies associated with approved markets by purchasing equity securities in the form of depositary receipts which may be domiciled or traded outside the issuer's domicile country.

Each Underlying Fund is authorized to use derivatives, such as futures contracts and options on futures contracts for equity securities and indices, to gain market exposure on its uninvested cash pending investment in securities or to maintain liquidity to pay redemptions. The Portfolio and Underlying Funds may lend their portfolio securities to generate additional income.

Risk [Heading]

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PRINCIPAL RISKS

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

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Fund of Funds Risk: The investment performance of the World ex U.S. Value 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 Underlying Funds. The Portfolio may allocate assets to an Underlying Fund or asset class that underperforms other funds or asset classes. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Portfolio or any Underlying Fund will be achieved. Through its investments in the Underlying Funds, the Portfolio is subject to the risks of the Underlying Funds' investments. The risks of the Underlying Funds' investments are described below.

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.

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.

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

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 Underlying Funds that own them, and, in turn, the World ex U.S. Value Portfolio itself, to rise or fall. Because the value of your investment in the Portfolio will fluctuate, there is the risk that you will lose money.

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. 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.

Derivatives Risk: Derivatives are instruments, such as futures and foreign exchange 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 more speculative than other types of investments. When the Underlying Funds use derivatives, the World ex U.S. Value Portfolio will be exposed to the risks of that derivative. Derivative instruments 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 a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and the 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, an Underlying Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. An 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. To the extent that the Portfolio holds securities directly and lends those securities, it will be also subject to the foregoing risks with respect to its loaned securities.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

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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]

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PERFORMANCE

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

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The bar chart and table immediately following illustrate the variability of the World ex U.S. Value 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 World ex U.S. Value Portfolio's performance from year to year. The table illustrates how annualized one year and since inception returns, both before and after taxes, compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The World ex U.S. Value 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.

The after-tax returns presented in the table for the World ex U.S. Value 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-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

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Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

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www.dimensional.com

Bar Chart [Heading]

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World ex U.S. Value Portfolio Institutional Class Shares

Total Returns (%)

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

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January 2011-December 2011
Highest Quarter		Lowest Quarter
3.81 (1/11-3/11)		-23.90 (7/11-9/11)

Performance Table Heading

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Periods ending December 31, 2011

Annualized Returns (%)

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

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Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

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In addition, the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Portfolio through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

World ex U.S. Value Portfolio | MSCI All Country World ex USA Index (net dividends) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes on sales)

Risk/Return:

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One Year

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(13.71%)

Since Inception

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0.66%

[1]

The Advisor has agreed to waive certain fees and in certain instances, assume certain expenses of the World ex U.S. Value Portfolio. The Fee Waiver and/or Expense Assumption Agreement for the Portfolio will remain in effect through February 28, 2013, and may not be terminated by the Advisor prior to that date. Under certain circumstances, 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.