There is provided an underlayer coating forming composition for lithography, and an underlayer coating having a high dry etching rate compared with photoresist, and causing no intermixing with the photoresist, which are used in lithography process of manufacture of semiconductor device. Concretely, it is an underlayer coating forming composition comprising a compound having a protected carboxyl group, a compound having a group capable of reacting with a carboxyl group and a solvent, and an underlayer coating forming composition comprising a compound having a group capable of reacting with a carboxyl group and a protected carboxyl group and a solvent.