A matrix material for a carbon fiber-reinforced composite comprises a matrix resin as a resin component. The matrix resin contains both a first epoxy resin and a second epoxy resin or only the first epoxy resin, further contains a third epoxy resin, and has an average epoxy equivalent weight of 109 to 162. The first epoxy resin contains a polyfunctional glycidylamine-type epoxy resin. The second epoxy resin contains at least one of a p-aminophenol-type epoxy resin and a tetramethylbiphenol-type solid epoxy resin. The third epoxy resin contains a bisphenol A-type epoxy resin having a weight-average molecular weight of 8000.