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Education at the higher secondary level plays a vital role in shaping both academic achievement and social development. Economics, as a subject, demands analytical reasoning as well as collaborative and interpersonal skills. However, traditional teacher-centered approaches often fail to provide opportunities for interaction and cooperation. The present study was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of cooperative learning strategies on the academic achievement and social skills of average achievers in Economics among higher secondary school students. The study adopted an experimental method with a pre-test-post-test control group design. Two groups of students (N = 100) were selected, each consisting of equal numbers of low, average, and high achievers. The control group was taught using conventional lecture-based methods, while the experimental group received instruction through cooperative learning techniques such as Jigsaw, Group Investigation, and Think-Pair-Share over a three-month period. Data were collected using an achievement test in Economics and a social skills questionnaire. Analysis using the t-test revealed that the experimental group average achievers performed significantly better in Economics achievement compared to the control group. Gender-wise analysis further indicated that both male and female students in the experimental group outperformed their counterparts in academic achievement. While no significant overall difference was observed in social skills between groups, gender-specific analysis showed that experimental group students exhibited better social skills than the control group. The findings confirm that cooperative learning is an effective instructional strategy for enhancing achievement and fostering social skills among average achievers in Economics.