I think that two freshmen sharing an apartment is a recipe for disaster because none of the fail-safe in the dorms (RA’s, social activities) are there to “catch” any problem. In addition, the dorms mean no cooking, no shopping, no planning. All that time is freed up for studying. Managing an apartment is not simple and adds to the challenges of a first year in college, distracting from learning.
In addition, not living in the dorms is very alienating for freshmen - keep in mind that the residential part of college education is huge.
I understand that he has special challenges to overcome, but it’d do him a disservice to let him get an apartment rather than seeking accomodations in the dorms.
If he doesn’t want to share a room, he can look for universities that have suite-style apartments. There are lots of them nowadays, from Sonoma State to Loyola Maryland to Mansfield University.
If your son wants peace and quiet, there are “quiet dorms”. If he doesn’t want partying, there are “substance-free”, “wellness” communities on every campus.
BTW: Studying should be primarily done at the library, leaving the “room” space for relaxation.