There is disclosed a method for molding an optical element, by preparing an upper mold member and a lower mold member for press molding a glass material, heating the mold members together or individually to a predetermined temperature, deforming the glass material according to molding faces of the mold members by a pressing force applied to the mold members, then transferring the mold members and the molded glass to a cooling step and subsequently taking out the molded glass by opening the mold members, thereby transferring the optically functional faces corresponding to the molding faces of the mold members, to the glass material. The cooling step includes a step of opening the mold members to separate the glass material from the molding faces of the mold members to release the adhesion state upon press molding between the molding faces and the glass material, and a step of closing the mold members again so as to maintain the molded state of the glass material and cooling the molded glass in this state further to a taking-out temperature thereof.