This invention provides a method for manufacturing a light emitting element by epitaxially growing a luminescent layer part (24) of a first group III-V compound semiconductor and a current diffusion layer (7) provided in that order on a single crystal substrate (1) for growth. The method for manufacturing a light emitting element comprises carrying out a metal organic vapor phase epitaxial growthstep and a hydride vapor phase epitaxial growth step in that order. The metal organic vapor phase epitaxial growth step comprises epitaxially growing a luminescent layer part (24) on the single crystal substrate (1) for growth by metal organic vapor phase epitaxial growth. The hydride vapor phase epitaxial growth step comprises epitaxially growing the current diffusion layer (7) on the luminescent layer part (24) by hydride vapor phase epitaxial growth. In the hydride vapor phase epitaxial growth step, the current diffusion layer (7) is grown as having a low-speed growth layer (7a) located ona side near the luminescent layer part (24) and a high-speed growth layer (7b) continued from the low-speed growth layer (7a) in such a manner that the growth rate of the low-speed growth layer (7a) is lower than the growth rate of the high-speed growth layer (7b). According to the above constitution, a method for manufacturing a light emitting element can be provided which can suppress the occurrence of hillock in the formation of a thick current diffusion layer by hydride vapor phase epitaxial growth.