A magnetic disk substrate is composed of an aluminum alloy substrate, a base plating layer on a surface of the aluminum alloy substrate, and a boundary region between the aluminum alloy substrate and the base plating layer. The boundary region includes a specific boundary region (D(1)I(50-84)) having Al emission intensities equal to 50% to 84% of an average Al emission intensity in an interior region of the aluminum alloy substrate in glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy in the depthwise direction from the surface of the magnetic disk substrate. The specific boundary region (D(1)I(50-84)) has a maximum Fe emission intensity (I(1)Fe(max)) higher than an average Fe emission intensity (I(1)Fe(ave)) in the interior region of the aluminum alloy substrate in the glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy.