This study investigates the effects of jigsaw cooperative learning on the achievement and knowledge retention of 80 final-year Vietnamese mathematics students, as well as reporting their attitudes toward this form of learning. These tertiary students were divided into two matched groups of 40 to be taught by the same lecturer. In the experimental group, jigsaw learning was employed, while in the control group, lecture-based teaching was used over the six weeks of instruction. The results showed that students in the experimental group, who perceived their instruction as more cooperative and more student-centered, had significantly greater improvement on both achievement and retention measures than did the students in the control group. A survey revealed favorable responses toward jigsaw learning. The major findings of this study support the effectiveness of jigsaw learning for students in Vietnamese higher education institutions.