A nitride semiconductor template includes a substrate, and a group III nitride semiconductor layer formed on the substrate and including a Si-doped layer doped with Si as an uppermost layer thereof. The group III nitride semiconductor layer has a total thickness of not less than 4 μm and not more than 10 μm. The Si-doped layer includes a Si concentration gradient layer having a carrier concentration that gradually decreases toward an outermost surface thereof so as to be not less than 1×1017 cm−3 and not more than 5×1017 cm−3 at the outermost surface of the group III nitride semiconductor layer.