A surface emitting semiconductor laser includes a first semiconductor multilayer reflector of a first conductivity type, an active area, a second semiconductor multilayer reflector of a second conductivity type, a current confinement layer having a conductive area and a surrounding high-resistance area, each provided on a substrate, and a higher-order transverse mode suppressing layer formed on an emission surface from which laser light is emitted and in an area in which higher-order transverse mode is induced. The higher-order transverse mode suppressing layer includes first to third insulation films having first to third refractive indices, respectively, formed on each other, and capable of transmitting an oscillation wavelength. The second refractive index is lower than the first refractive index. The third refractive index is higher than the second refractive index. The optical film thickness of the first to third insulation films is an odd number times one-fourth of the oscillation wavelength.