A method for producing a rare earth aluminate fluorescent material, including: preparing, as raw materials, cerium oxide having a crystallite diameter in a range of 200 Å or more and 1,600 Å or less, a compound containing at least one kind of a rare earth element Ln selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Lu, Gd, and Tb, a compound containing Al, and depending on necessity a compound containing at least one kind of an element M1 selected from the group consisting of Ga and Sc, wherein a total molar ratio of the rare earth element Ln and cerium is 3, a total molar ratio of Al and the element M1 is a product of a parameter k in a range of 0.95 or more and 1.05 or less and 5, a molar ratio of cerium is a product of a parameter n in a range of 0.005 or more and 0.050 or less and 3, and a molar ratio of the element M1 is a product of a parameter m in a range of 0 or more and 0.02 or less, the parameter k, and 5; and subjecting a mixture of the raw materials to a heat treatment to provide a calcined product.